On the Road Together
by Scotty CF
Summary: As requested, here is my third On the Road series with Sonic the Hedgehog and his crew in their RV. Your reviews and ideas are welcomed. Enjoy the ride!
1. Heading Out

**Sonic Adventures: "On the Road Together." **

**Written by: C. E. Rodriguez **

**2003 **

**Author's note: **Again, I bring to you a road adventure with the Sonic crew. I thought On the Road Again would be the last, but because of the requests I received from all over, I will accept the challenge to take the wheel once again and drive across the journey of writing. You will meet the crew from the past two adventures, but a few new characters also, like Cream the Rabbit and her pet Chao named Cheese. Metal Sonic and Chaos will make an appearance, Silver Sonic, and Dr. Eggman with evil plots to destroy a certain RV. Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends are loaded up, packed and ready to hit the road for this third trip of an RV ride. Let the journey begin! 

= = = = = 

**Chapter 1: Heading Out**

We travel now to a homeland, a peaceful place where one can call their refuge. Of course, it is good to get away from it all, to fill that need of adventure, to see news things and to build memories to cherish. The last place one might look for such a mobile home is an RV, but that is just what Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends had in mind for their next vacation. To go out on the road would not be the first time for the crew, but just as a reminder that there is so much to see. The morning of departure arrived as the sun slowly began to rise with flowing light touching everything in its path. Down the road and around a certain corner, Tails yawned, awaking from a dream. He sat up in his bed, and he turned to look at the bed beside his own. Strangely, the other bed was empty. Tails blinked in disbelief with surprise in his mind. 

"Could it be?" he asked himself quietly. "Did Sonic really get up before the alarm ticked?" 

He looked over at the alarm clock, which he had repaired several times in his workshop after Sonic threw a shoe or something handy at it. But this time, it was still there. Confused, Tails climbed out of his bed, and he walked over to the other one. Sonic was not there. Just before Tails believed it, he heard a quiet snore, and it was somehow familiar. Tails walked to the other side of the empty bed, and there he was. It was Sonic down on the floor, sound asleep. 

Tails chuckled quietly. "I knew it," he whispered. 

Just then, the bedroom alarm clock was heard on the wooden dresser. Sonic snorted in his sleep, and he reached out for his red shoe. Before Tails could stop him, Sonic threw the shoe to hit the alarm clock. Tails gasped, quickly ducking down so it would miss him, and the shoe hit the alarm clock, sending it to the floor, and the shoe fell into Freeway's little bed. The baby deer yawned, curling up next to the shoe, smiling sleepily. Tails sighed, turning to look at the hedgehog. 

"Sonic, wake up!" Tails called, and Sonic just rolled over onto his side. Tails thought for a moment, and then, he spoke his quick idea. "Hey, Sonic, Amy's at the door…" 

Then the sleeping Sonic rolled under the bed, hiding. Tails blinked, surprised and wondered how he could do that while sleeping. The young fox thought and he thought. 

"All right, then." Tails turned away to leave. "That leaves me to drive on the road…" 

Sonic opened his green eyes, awake. "What? No way! I'm the driver!" 

"Well, come on out for breakfast," Tails said, and Sonic stood up, yawning. 

Sonic picked up a shoe, but the other was missing. "Oh no, not again," he said, groaning. 

Tails was already in the kitchen, and the hedgehog ran around the bedroom, looking for the one, trusty red shoe. He stopped at the bedroom doorway, looking again. It was not found. 

"Looking for this, Uncle Sonic?" asked a young girl voice. 

Sonic looked down, and then he smiled. "Thanks, Freeway," he whispered, taking the shoe. 

The fawn blinked her brown eyes. "You're welcome," she said, smiling. 

"Sonic, Freeway, breakfast!" Tails called from the kitchen. 

"Early bird gets the worm." Sonic grinned. "Let's go!" And so they enjoyed a meal. 

After breakfast, Sonic and Tails packed a few more, last minute items for the road journey, and Freeway waited outside for them, standing at the garage door. Standing with her was Metal-2, a blue android hedgehog friend the crew met during their past adventure in the RV together. Sonic and Tails raced to the RV after locking everything, and they stopped to meet their friends. 

"Are we ready?" Sonic asked, and Tails nodded while Freeway winked an eye.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Metal-2 replied, and then Sonic held a remote control in his hand. 

Sonic pressed a button, and at the touch command, the large garage door opened. When the shadows left and the sun touched what was inside, the crew saw the faithful Cross Country RV resting there. It was ready to go, just as they were. Sonic smiled at the white RV with blue stripes. It was just as he remembered, and he was sure his friends remembered it also. 

"Okay, let's load up, team!" Sonic said, and so the crew excitedly entered the RV. 

The doors closed, and Sonic sat down in the driver seat with the keys. Freeway took her place on the sofa to have a view of a window, and Tails sat in the passenger chair with his laptop computer. Metal-2 stepped inside last, and he shut the door after him. 

"Everything is set and secure, Sonic. It's ready when you are," he told him. 

Sonic played a music CD, and he grinned. "Then let's hit the road again!" 

"Hurray!" Tails cheered, and the RV began to move out into the outside world. 

"Well, where do we go first?" Freeway asked curiously. 

"According to the plans, we make a stop at Knuckles' place to pick him up," said Metal-2.

"That's right," Sonic said with approval, driving. "Then comes Shadow, and then the girls." 

Tails nodded. "And I've got all the maps we'll need downloaded on my laptop." 

"Good work," Sonic praised, and they drove up a hill while the song City Escape played. 

= = = = = 

Down the road, not so far away, Knuckles the Echidna hurried outside with his suitcases. He was worried to be late, but he was glad to see the RV coming. He made it out in time. 

"Great!" Knuckles said happily, and he waved his hand until the RV stopped. 

"All aboard!" Tails called when he opened the door for the red echidna. 

"Hey, everyone!" Knuckles greeted, standing in the RV, looking around. "Wow, we're on the road again. It's been a while since I've been in here. I wonder what's ahead of us…" 

"It'll take all day to answer that," Metal-2 said, and Tails nodded, closing the door. 

"Ready, Tails?" Sonic asked from the driver seat. 

"Yeah, let's go," Tails answered, and after that, the RV moved once again. 

"Next is Shadow, right?" Knuckles asked the driver. 

"Yes," Sonic replied to the question. "And I'm sure he's been waiting before dawn." 

"Doesn't he ever sleep?" Freeway asked, and Metal-2 shrugged. 

Tails smiled. "I'm sure he does, but he just likes to be ready for anything." 

"But why so early?" Knuckles wondered. 

"It's his way," Sonic said simply, and the RV began a journey to find the crew. 

= = = = =

The RV stopped at the next location. Tails opened the door, and Sonic looked outside a window. His eyes widened at the sight on the sidewalk. He could not believe what he saw, and yet, it was so very real. There was Shadow the Hedgehog, asleep on top of his one lone suitcase. Tails froze, unsure what to do, and then Sonic knew. He played City Escape music again, louder this time. When the black hedgehog heard the music, he opened his eyes, and he leaped to his feet. 

"What a nightmare!" said Shadow, shaking his head. 

"What's wrong, Shades? Didn't get enough sleep last night?" Sonic asked him. 

"No, no, no," Shadow quickly denied. "I just got so bored waiting for you--"

"Before dawn," the whole RV crew said, finishing it, and Shadow grinned. 

"Hey, Shadow, you coming or what?" Knuckles asked from the RV door. 

"Do I have a choice?" Shadow asked, and Tails shrugged. 

"No choice," Sonic answered, and he pointed to the passenger chair. "Get in." 

"Fine," Shadow said, and he took his suitcase, stepping inside the RV. 

Knuckles noticed the suitcase. "Are you sure you packed everything?" 

"Of course," Shadow said, holding it. "I have everything I'll ever need and more." 

"You always travel light," Metal-2 said, and Shadow nodded. 

"Buckle up!" Sonic said, and when everyone was ready, they moved on. 

Shadow placed his suitcase in its place, and he sat down in the passenger chair while Tails and Freeway had the sofa. Knuckles and Metal-2 sat in chairs nearby, watching the window. Shadow glared at the CD player as it played City Escape. He quickly switched the music track to Live and Learn. Sonic knew with no doubt it was Shadow, and so he switched it back to City Escape. The two hedgehogs continued this as the RV traveled on the road ahead of them. The others in the back watched, turning their heads as the hedgehogs switched and switched the music tracks. 

"Very strange," Metal-2 said quietly to the red echidna with him. 

"It's the pecking order," Knuckles whispered. 

= = = = =

Meanwhile… 

Down the road, Amy Rose lifted her new video camera to Rouge the Bat, who was busily packing some clean dishes in boxes. Tikal finished packing the shampoo and soap, and she went inside to find some towels. Amy was done with packing for the time, and so she used her camera. 

"Sonic says this will be the best road trip ever. What is your reaction, Rouge?" Amy asked. 

Rouge stopped for a moment to look at the camera. "If you want my saying about it," she began, "Packing and organizing, cleaning up after boys is hardly a vacation for me, but it'll work out." 

"Let's hope so," Amy said, turning the camera to the door as Tikal stepped outside.   

"Everything we need is finally packed, so we're all ready," said Tikal. 

"And just in time," Rouge said, pointing to the street. "Here they come!" 

"It's the RV! Oh, wait till they see my sweet camera!" Amy said happily, and it stopped with Sonic and Shadow still changing the music, and the three girls laughed. 

The two hedgehogs froze, looking outside. "What's so funny?" they both asked. 

Then the girls laughed more. "I can't imagine," Rouge said, trying to stop. 

"Well, let's go," Tikal said, being the first to calm down. 

Tails opened the door. "Come one, come all," he said, smiling.  

Amy ran to Sonic, who stepped outside to check on the RV tires. Sonic gulped when he saw her coming, and he quickly stepped out of the path. Shadow was the next one, and he gasped, jumping out of reach. Amy kept running with her eyes closed until at last she reached someone. She hugged him tight, giggling happily. The crew looked to see that it was Metal-2. 

"Oh, we're saved," Shadow said with relief. 

"Yeah," Sonic added. "And he can't be choked like me, so no worries." 

Metal-2 was still for a moment, and then he gently returned the hug. Rouge and Tikal gathered the things they packed, and they entered the RV. Metal-2 and Amy followed Tails inside, and then Knuckles hopped in, closing the door after Freeway came in safely. Sonic and Shadow looked at each other, glaring, and then they looked at the RV. They wondered who would enter first. Shadow made the first move to run, but then Sonic pulled him back and he tried to run, but Shadow pulled him back. They kept this up until Tails honked the horn. Sonic and Shadow covered their ears at the loud noise, and then they both went inside, using a door. Sonic chuckled while Shadow snorted, crossing his arms. Everyone was buckled and ready to go for a ride. 

"Okay, guys, this is it," said Sonic, and he turned the key. The RV moved out. 

"We're off for adventure!" Amy cheered. "There's no telling what we'll see next." 

"No way of knowing," Tikal said. "But we're together, so there's nothing to fear." 

"Only one way to find out what's ahead of us," Sonic said, and he drove out of the area.


	2. Beached In

**Chapter 2: Beached In**

****

It was the next day when the RV finally stopped. It was a nice morning with a calm, cool breeze just outside the window with freshness as its scent. Shadow sat as the driver for the nightshift. He stopped when they arrived at a beach. He turned to Sonic, who was sitting in the passenger chair. Sonic was asleep after a long day of driving the RV, and Shadow poked him. 

"Rise and shine, sleepy head," Shadow said to the blue hedgehog. 

Sonic yawned, sitting up strait. "Ah, where are we now?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. 

"How can I tell in nothing but darkness?" Shadow shrugged. 

Sonic opened his eyes. "I see light!" he gasped at the morning sun. 

"Big deal," Knuckles mumbled sleepily in his bed, above the two chairs. 

"It's morning," Rouge said, brushing her teeth at the small kitchen sink. 

"So it is," said Amy, sitting next to a window with Freeway. 

"Tails, what is this place?" Tikal asked the fox with the laptop computer. 

Tails opened his map files, looking. "According to this, we're at the Virginia Beach." 

"Good enough of a place to start our little trip," Knuckles yawned. 

"Huh? Little trip?" Freeway asked, surprised, and Amy giggled. 

"This appears to be a beach, no doubt," said Metal-2, standing at the door. 

Shadow, the current driver grinned. "Perfect." 

"Hey, wait one hedgehog minute!" Sonic said, "Beach means water, and water means…" he stopped, gulped, and then he finished. "Water is something I dislike, ya know." 

"Say it as it is…" Shadow then made a coward Sonic voice. "Oh no, I can't swim!" 

"Why, you!" Sonic shouted, ready to attack, but Knuckles stopped them. 

"Hey, hey, whoa," said the red echidna. "Let's take it easy and enjoy this day, okay?" 

Sonic and Shadow looked away from each other, crossing their arms, and they snorted. 

"Okay," Tails said, standing up from the sofa. "We can park down that way." He pointed. 

"All right!" Amy cheered, and then Shadow opened one eye, looking out. 

"As good as it gets," Rouge said, walking up to the front seats. 

"Maybe," Shadow said, and he slowly turned to face Sonic. "Well, Sonic, what—HUH?" 

"What?!" The crew asked, surprised at Shadow's shocked face. 

"Faker—I mean, look, Sonic is gone!" Shadow pointed to the empty passenger chair.

"Where did he go? Why did he go?" Knuckles wondered. 

"We gotta find him!" Amy said, worried. 

"Right," Tails said, and he jumped outside through a door. "Let's go, hurry!" 

"I'm a treasure hunter, not a hedgehog keeper," said Rouge. "But I'll help anyway." 

"Wait for me, Tails!" Amy called, running after him. "I'm coming, too!" she said. 

Tikal stepped outside after Rouge left with Knuckles. Metal-2 stood beside her. "Oh, we must do something," Tikal said, turning to her friend, the blue android. "Where should we look?" 

"We can cover more ground if we're up high." Metal-2 pointed to the sky. 

"But how?" Tikal asked, and then she saw him offer his hand. 

"I will fly…will you join me?" he asked the echidna. 

"Why not?" Tikal smiled, and she took his hand. She held on to Metal-2 as they left. 

Freeway blinked her eyes, watching them leave. She looked up at Shadow. The black hedgehog looked out at the beach, and then he looked down. He tried to hide away his worried look. 

"Uncle Shadow, where are you going?" Freeway asked him. 

"To find him," Shadow answered. "And you stay here until I come back again." 

Then Shadow left, traveling along the beach. He was alone until he came to a certain place where wooden decks rested for boats. He saw Sonic standing on one of them, staring at the water. Sonic had his eyes closed for a moment, but he opened them when Shadow came to his side. 

"Shadow, how did you find me?" Sonic asked quietly. 

"Ah, you know me," Shadow said. "I always find what I'm looking for." 

"You were looking for me…why?" Sonic asked, curious. 

"We were worried about you," Shadow replied, telling the truth. 

"Nothing to worry about," said Sonic. "I just had to get outside for a bit." 

"Yeah, I understand," Shadow said, nodding, and then the others approached. 

"Hey, Sonic!" Knuckles said, "Don't go without us. I don't want to miss this." 

"Are you okay?" Tails asked, and Sonic nodded at the fox. 

"I'm fine, now that you guys are here," he said, grinning again. 

"How sweet!" Amy said, turning on her camera. "Smile, Sonic!" 

"No! I said guys, not gals!" Sonic said, and he laughed, running from the camera.  

"He's back," said Rouge after the blue blur rushed passed her. 

"They found him!" Tikal said, pointing down below. 

"I see them," Metal-2 said, and he landed on the beach to meet the crew. 

"Now that we're here, let's play ball," Tails said. 

"Good idea!" Knuckles said excitedly as Freeway rolled a ball over to him.  

Amy, Rouge, and Tikal rested on the sand, watching Knuckles, Tails, and Freeway play ball. Shadow left to race by himself, but Sonic suddenly appeared as a surprise. 

"See you!" Sonic teased, and he ran ahead of the black hedgehog. 

Silent, Shadow snorted, and he raced to the blue hedgehog's side. He had to admit, he was having fun already, and so the crew enjoyed the afternoon at the beach. 

= = = = = 

Meanwhile… 

Hidden deep in the ocean waters, Dr. Eggman turned in his favorite leather chair, thinking of so many things, and he wondered what was possibly happening out in the world. It was too peaceful, something an evil villain like him ruined for sport, basically. This made him quite restless. 

"Oh, it's too peaceful out there!" he said as he slammed a fist down on the arm of his chair. "I'll put a stop to that if my name isn't Doctor Eggman!" 

"But that is your name, Doc," said a watery voice behind the chair. 

Eggman turned around in the chair. "Chaos!" he said to the standing creature. "Now is the time to put my new plans to work, but first, turn on the visual screen!" He pointed. 

"Aye, aye, cap," Chaos said, and he looked confused at the control panel. "I wonder what'll happen if I punch all the buttons…well, only one way to find out…" Chaos randomly pressed some controls, and then the movie Flipper began to play on the screen. "Ooh, boy, one of my favorites!" Chaos happily chuckled, and Eggman growled with frustration.  

"Metal!" Eggman called out, and in a few seconds, a blue robot hedgehog with glowing red eyes appeared in the room, knocking down Chaos as he stopped in front of the chair. 

"By your command," said the blue robot to the man. 

"Metal, turn on the visual screen for the beach," Eggman commanded, pointing. 

Metal turned to the controls, and with one touch, he turned it on. Chaos sat up, dizzy after the fall, and Metal stood next to the screen. When the picture was clear, something appeared that Eggman did not expect, but it was something he knew. It was an RV, white with blue stripes. 

"It's them," Eggman whispered, staring. "They're on the road again…" 

"Huh? What?" Chaos looked, and he recognized it. "Sardines!" he laughed. 

Metal crossed his arms, annoyed at the creature, but he was not looking at the screen. 

"Prepare to attack!" Eggman said, standing up from his chair with hope for victory. 

"I will terminate all enemies. What is the target this time?" Metal asked. 

"Them," Eggman and Chaos pointed to the visual screen. 

Metal turned, and when he saw the screen, he saw the RV. He just glanced at first, but then he turned, looking more carefully. He remembered everything that happened before, and with pure panic in his eyes, he turned to escape, but Eggman caught him by the arms. Metal beeped, and then Eggman pulled him back to the screen. Chaos played with a yellow yo-yo, looking. 

"I see," Eggman said to himself when he noticed Metal struggling to escape the RV. "I'll just have to take those memories for his own good, and then the hedgehog will beg for mercy!" 

"Remember me, Metal," Chaos sniffed just before Eggman turned the robot off.  

A short time later, Metal woke up, and he turned his head, looking around. 

"Metal, attack Sonic the Hedgehog and his RV!" Eggman ordered, pointing to the screen. 

Metal glared at the image. "Consider it done," he said, leaving the underwater base. 

"Hey! Wait for me, Metal!" Chaos called, and he quickly followed after him. 

"Those two…" Eggman sighed, shaking his head. 

= = = = =

Back to the beach, Amy and Tikal were finishing a small sandcastle while Rouge was secretly burying Knuckles in the sand. Freeway was sniffing a crab, curiously with young wonder, but she quickly backed away to avoid being pinched. After that, she stayed close to Metal-2 for protection. Knuckles was peacefully taking a nap, unaware that the white bat was burying him in sand, leaving only his head out. Tails rested on a chair, closing his blue eyes at the bright sun, wearing sunglasses. The watchful Metal-2 stood nearby with Freeway, and as the crew knew, Sonic and Shadow were racing along the shore, and behind them, it was like a sandstorm. 

"Come on, Shadow, speed up!" Sonic laughed, running ahead of the black one. 

Shadow closed his eyes, spitting sand out of his mouth, running. "Here I come!"

Then like a black flash, Shadow ran passed Sonic, surprising him. The blue hedgehog gathered up more speed, reaching Shadow's side, and when they reached the end of the race, the dust conceal the winner. Sonic stood close to the seashore where the ocean waves visited the dry land. 

"Looks like I win again, Shades," he said playfully. "It was nice of you to try, though." 

"Same for you," Shadow said back, making a sly grin on his face. 

"There you go again," said Sonic, pointing. "You're trying to grin like me. That's copyrighted." 

"Says who? You?" Shadow smirked, and then he looked away from him. 

Sonic crossed his arms, and before he could continue, someone or something caught him from behind, covering his mouth also to keep his voice silent. Sonic could not turn to see his kidnapper as he felt himself being pulled away. He closed his green eyes when he was pulled underwater. Shadow did not notice this, but he turned to where Sonic was once standing. Shadow had his eyes closed, and he leaned on the blue figure next to him. It was the evil Metal Sonic himself. 

"Look, admit it, Sonic," he said. "I told you, I am the Ultimate, but you never listen."   

"Correct," said the robotic voice. "You are ultimately doomed, you pitiful lifeform!" 

Shadow opened one eye, and he saw that it was not Sonic, but it was Metal. Shadow gasped, quickly moving away before Metal Sonic could attack him. "You!" he shouted. 

"Surrender, hedgehog!" Metal demanded, preparing to attack again. 

"Surrender?" said Shadow. "I think you're the one who should surrender. You're trying to take me down? Ha! You're not even good enough to be my kidnapper!" 

"If that is how you wish it…" Metal said, and the fight began on the sandy shore. 

Meanwhile, near the RV, the crew wondered where Sonic and Shadow were and what could possibly be keeping them from a prepared supper, which was good and ready. 

"I don't understand," Amy said to the others. "Sonic is almost always the first to come." 

"Maybe they're having a rerun," Tikal guessed, remembering the race. 

"Whatever the explanation, they're late, and that's a fact," said Metal-2. 

"I'll go find them," Tails volunteered, turning to leave, but Metal-2 took his hand. 

"Wait," he said, and Tails stopped, looking back at him. "I'll go with you." 

"Okay," Tails agreed, welcoming his help, and so, Tails and Metal-2 began a search. 

"Be careful!" Amy called out before the two disappeared from sight. 

"And come back before it gets cold!" Tikal added. 

"And dark," Freeway said, and her eyes widened at Knuckles, who was buried in sand.

= = = = = 

On the shore…

Shadow back flipped away before Metal could attack, and their feet were now in the water. Metal took a few hits, but he got some revenge when he captured Shadow, and then he threw him toward a hill on the beach. At that moment, Metal-2 and Tails arrived. They stopped to look around, but then Tails was knocked down when Shadow suddenly fell from the sky. 

"Ouch!" Tails said on the sand. "Shadow, what happened?" 

"It's him!" Shadow pointed to the water, and there was Metal Sonic. 

"I'll handle this!" said a voice, and the crew saw that it was Rouge the Bat. 

She drill dived down to Metal, but the robot spin dashed, attacking her back, and she fell. Coldly and ruthlessly, Metal moved toward the bat to finish her, but then, someone caught him. Metal Sonic looked behind himself, and he glared when he saw Metal-2. 

"Back into the water you go, you shark!" Metal-2 said, and at amazing speed, he spun Metal Sonic around and around in a circle while holding him by the legs. The crew almost lost sight of them when finally; Metal-2 threw the enemy robot away, sending him into the ocean water.

Shadow helped Rouge stand up, and Tails looked out at the water. "Where's Sonic?" he asked. 

"I don't know," Shadow answered. "I didn't see what happened to him." 

Rouge looked at the shore, and when she saw something blue, she thought it was Metal, but after she blinked, it was indeed, Sonic the Hedgehog. "Look, over there!" she said, pointing. 

"Sonic!" Tails gasped, and Metal-2 ran to the hedgehog that was on his hands and knees. 

Sonic coughed some water out, and he looked back at the water that returned him to dry land. He was soaked, shiny wet, and he coughed again when Metal-2 lifted him up. "Thanks," he said. 

"Are you okay, Sonic?" Metal-2 asked him, "What happened here, anyway?" 

"Looks like we're not the only ones traveling," Sonic replied. "I had to escape from Chaos." 

Tails landed beside them. "Metal Sonic was here, too, but he's gone now." 

"He'll be back," Metal-2 warned, and Sonic nodded slightly, tired. 

"We better find the RV, to make sure they're safe," Sonic said, leaving the water behind. Sonic ran to dry himself, and the crew followed until they made it back safely to the RV. 

"You made it!" Amy cheered, glad to see the others again, and Tikal waved at them. 

Tails looked around. "The sun is setting," he said. "That means the beach will close." 

"We spent a day here, so we better keep moving on," Sonic said to the crew. 

"What about the dinner we made for you guys?" Tikal asked. 

"We can eat on the road, like what most truckers do," Shadow said, and he entered the RV. 

"Let's go!" Sonic gave the word, and everyone began to pack up for departure. 

"I drive!" Shadow said proudly, reaching the driver chair before Sonic did. 

"Are we ready?" Tails asked, and Sonic shrugged his shoulders. 

"I guess so," Sonic said, but then Amy lifted her hand to stop them. 

"Wait a minute." Amy turned to Rouge. "Aren't we forgetting something?" she asked. 

Rouge thought for a moment, and then she shrugged. "No. Why?" 

Just then, they heard a distress call from outside, and it was Knuckles the Echidna. 

"What's he still doing out there?" Sonic asked himself, jumping outside to see. 

The crew came to Knuckles after a quick search, and they were surprised to see him buried. 

"Knuckles, what are you doing in there?" Tails asked him, and Sonic was chuckling. 

"You'll pay big time for this!" Knuckles shouted at the smiling white bat. 

"Easy, Knux," Sonic said, and then he looked over at Metal-2. "Set him free." 

Metal-2 nodded, and he dug Knuckles out, lifted him to his feet, and he was fine. 

"A beached in echidna," Shadow said to himself in the RV. "That's a first." 

"Are you all right, Knuckles?" Amy asked the red echidna that was dusting himself. 

"Yeah, sure, but I'm kinda hungry now," Knuckles answered, licking his lips. 

"Okay, then let's move!" Sonic called, leading the way back to the RV. 

And so, on the road again together, Sonic and his friends left the beach, and they traveled into the night for a safe place to sleep, but Sonic warned the crew about his encounter in the water, and how they must be careful in the times ahead. After the team fell asleep, Metal-2 took the wheel.


	3. Pony Penny

**Chapter 3: Pony Penny **

After leaving the Virginia Beach, the RV arrived in Maryland, which was to some, a merry place to be. It was very early in the morning when they came to a certain place called Chincoteague, a small, peaceful place where a special time happens on the last Thursday in July. Over on the island called Assateague, there lived ponies in freedom like a flock of wild birds. Every year, they are rounded-up and some were sold in auctions before the herd returned home back from Chincoteague to Assateague. Metal-2 glanced down, and he saw that the RV was low on fuel. 

"Tails," he said to the fox quietly in the morning. "This location will have to be our next stop." 

"It's fine," Tails agreed in the front passenger chair. "We all could use a stop now, anyway." 

Sonic yawned, waking up from sleep in a chair. "What's today?" he asked sleepily. 

"Thursday," Shadow answered on the sofa, quietly drinking a cup of hot coffee. 

"Must have slept all night," Sonic said, rubbing his eyes awake. 

"Yeah, most do that, you know," said Knuckles, climbing out of his sleeping place. 

Metal-2 stopped the RV in a safe place to park it. "We're in Chincoteague now." 

"Huh? Chinco—what?" Sonic asked, "Where is that on the map?" 

"Right here," Tails pointed on his map, and Sonic closed one eye, looking for it. 

"Looks like a bread crumb to me," Knuckles said, and Shadow chuckled in his mug. 

"Pipe down, it could be worse," Sonic said to the red echidna. "This place will do good." 

"Yeah, good enough," Knuckles said, nodding. 

"Good morning!" Amy called out after exiting the back bedroom where the girls slept. 

"Good night!" Sonic said, and he ran outside to explore around the area. 

"Look, everyone, here's breakfast." Tikal served everyone fresh toast and eggs. 

Shadow placed the eggs between the two slices of toast to make a sandwich. He sprinkled salt and pepper on it, which made Knuckles sneeze, and then Shadow placed one lone black olive inside. He took a bite, chewed carefully while the crew watched him. "It's not too bad," he said. 

"Yeah, but what's with the olive?" Rouge asked before taking a sip of orange juice. 

"That's what makes my sandwiches lucky," Shadow replied, and Rouge swallowed, surprised. 

"That rhymed," Knuckles said to the readers and viewers from afar. 

= = = = = 

Meanwhile, Sonic was racing on the island of Chincoteague to enjoy the fresh morning air before the wind took it away. He followed the wind, chasing it while allowing a little water to splash on him from the nearby shore. It was a good place to run, but he was unaware that someone was watching him. The big green eyes of Chaos Zero looked through binoculars, the wrong way. 

"I see him, but he's so small," Chaos said while looking into them.  

"He's going to get a whole lot bigger after I make him swell up," said Metal Sonic. 

"Oh, yeah!" Chaos said, letting the binoculars down. "But I think these are broken." 

Metal rolled his red eyes. "Whatever," he said, turning away. "Come, we must call the Doctor." 

"But Metal, I'm not sick," Chaos said, and then Metal took him by the arm, pulling him away. 

"You're sicker than you can possibly imagine," Metal said as he dragged the creature down a hill. 

"Oh, dear," Chaos gasped. "Maybe that's why I'm seeing things so small today!" 

"Can it, Zero!" Metal scolded, but Chaos was worried for his watery health at the moment. 

"Metal, call me a doctor!" Chaos cried, closing his eyes shut with dread. 

"Okay, waterfall, you're a doctor," Metal called him that, and he continued downhill.

= = = = = 

Later that day…

Tails looked up toward the afternoon sky, and instead of seeing bright sunlight as he expected, he saw clouds gather together like a large flock of birds, soaring gracefully. Tails tried to remember if he heard any storm reports on the radio, but he did not recall such news. Should he worry? 

"I don't know…" Tails whispered to himself as he closed his eyes for a moment. 

Tikal and Amy Rose were busy washing laundry inside a nearby Laundromat building, which was small, but enough for them to complete that chore. The RV was parked to rest after Shadow and Metal-2 refilled it, and Knuckles was on top of the RV, watching the sky while in deep thought. Freeway was taking her afternoon nap, and Rouge silently climbed up the ladder to reach Knuckles. She elbowed the echidna in the side, playfully laughing, and then she escaped. 

"Hey, you!" Knuckles shouted, leaping off the RV to chase the white bat. 

Shadow opened an eye when he heard the voices, standing next to Metal-2. They were waiting for not only the girls to finish laundry inside, but also for Sonic to return. After she finished, Tikal helped to carry the clean laundry inside the RV. Amy walked over to see Tails with his laptop. 

"Any sign of Sonic yet?" Amy asked the fox, who was sitting on a smooth rock. 

"Nope," Tails answered without looking at her during his work. "Not yet." 

"Where could he be?" Amy asked, stepping ahead of him. "What if something went wrong?" 

"I wouldn't worry too much, Amy," said Tails in a calm way. "Tikal has it all ready by now." 

"What's ready?" Amy asked, and just then, Tikal stepped out of the RV, holding a plate of… 

"Chilidogs!" Tikal shouted, calling all those who were hungry to come and eat. 

Amy hardly blinked when a blue blur passed her and Tails, and then Sonic appeared. 

"I'm back!" Sonic said happily, and he looked at the chilidogs, hungrily. "And just in time!"

Everyone else gathered at the picnic table to eat, but Tails stayed with his laptop, reading. Noticing that Tails was missing, Metal-2 left the crew, and he found the fox at work. 

"Tails," he said to him, "I know you have road plans to make, but you should stop to eat." 

"I know, I know," Tails said after a sigh. "I was just reading about Chincoteague." 

Metal-2 nodded his head. "Ah, yes, it's a peaceful place and a good vacation location." 

"But look at this," Tails pointed to his laptop computer screen. "It says that every year on the last Thursday in July, the people of Chincoteague round-up the wild ponies that live on the island called Assateague. The ponies swim across the water channel where some are sold in auctions." 

"If that's true, it happens today," said Metal-2. 

Tails closed the laptop, standing again. "I hope we're not too late to see them!" 

"Let's go tell Sonic." And so Metal-2 and Tails told the blue hedgehog about it. 

Indeed, Sonic listened carefully to what his friends had to say. "That sounds cool!" he said. 

"Yeah!" Knuckles agreed. "I always wanted to see those wild Mustangs, you know." 

"Not Mustangs," Tikal corrected him. "It's the Assateague ponies." 

"Ponies? Mustangs?" Rouge asked, and then she said, "I thought he meant the Mustang car." 

"Whatever," said Shadow, shrugging. He finished the last sip of his hot coffee. 

"It sounds great. Let's go!" Amy laughed, leaving her chair when finished eating. 

"Wait for us!" Tikal called out, running to catch up with the pink hedgehog. 

"After her!" Knuckles pointed to the running Tikal before he adventured away. 

"No need to wait for me," Sonic said, grinning. "I'm already there!" And he ran. 

"Here we go!" Tails ran to follow, taking his trusty laptop in his backpack. 

"If that blue hedgehog thinks he's already there, he's wrong!" said Shadow, running. 

Rouge flew alongside Tails, following the runners below to find the shore. Freeway tried to follow the others, sleepily after her nap, and she tripped over a fallen tree. She blinked her eyes, and then someone carefully picked her up. Freeway looked into the ruby eyes of a friend. 

"No problem, you and I will go first class." Metal-2 winked his eye, and away they went. 

"Hurray! Hurray!" Freeway shouted with joy. "Look, I'm the first deer ever to fly! Wow!" 

Metal-2 smiled. "Hold on!" he said, leaving the area behind to head for the shore. 

= = = = = 

When they arrived, they found themselves in a crowd of people, and some came from many miles away like they had done in the faithful traveling RV. On foot, Sonic and his friends came in the mist of what he guessed was a Country Fair event in that small town. Tikal carried little Freeway, so the fawn would not get hurt or lost in the crowd in the area they were in. Sonic stopped for a moment, and he sniffed the air with his eyes closed. Tails saw this, and he knew it meant food. 

"Sonic, we just had some chilidogs today," Tails reminded him, but the hedgehog continued. 

"Buddy, in a case like this, I must follow my nose!" And so Sonic ran to do so. 

Shadow felt a burst of wind rush passed him. "He's at it again!" he said. 

"Sonic, wait up!" Amy called, running to follow, and Knuckles went with her. 

"I think I know where he's heading," said Metal-2, and at the speed of sound, he ran passed Knuckles, taking Amy with him, and when the dust cleared, they were both at a chilidog stand. 

"Wow, cool!" Amy giggled happily, and Metal-2 let her sit down on a chair. 

Just then, Sonic appeared after following his nose, and he was surprised to see them there already. "He…he beat me," Sonic said quietly, pointing to the blue android hedgehog. 

"No," said Shadow as he approached with Tails and Tikal following. "You beat yourself." 

It took Sonic a moment to realize again that Metal-2 was an android made in his image, so in a way, Shadow was right. "Oh, yeah," he said, grinning with a wink. "Cool."  

"Wait a minute," Tikal said to them, "We're suppose to find the wild ponies, not food." 

"I guess you're right," Sonic agreed, after he swallowed one. "But all jets need fuel." 

"But where could the ponies be now?" Freeway wondered. "Maybe they went home already." 

"No," said an elderly man behind the crew. "If you're looking for the wild ponies, you should head for the shore soon. The channel crossing will happen at any moment." 

"So, if we hurry, we can still see them swim across?" asked Amy. 

"Yes, you heard me correctly," said the man. "And it's best to watch them by ship." 

"You mean, a fisher boat?" Tikal asked him, and the man nodded his head. 

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Sonic asked, and they all looked at him. 

"Um…for you to say, let's go," Knuckles guessed, and Shadow rolled his eyes. 

"Right," Sonic said, and he pointed with a finger. "Let's go!" And he ran. 

"Thank you, sir! Bye!" Amy thanked the man before running after the crew. 

And so, down a hill, the crew ran, traveling for the shore where they saw many people gathering to see the water channel crossing of the wild ponies. They came to a nice fisher boat, and they were welcome onboard to watch the ponies arrive. But Metal-2 hesitated to climb on with them. 

"Metal-2, come on!" Sonic called, "We're not going without you." 

After another hesitation, Metal-2 climbed in, and they were in the water, ready. 

"Is anything wrong?" Amy asked Metal-2, standing next to him in the boat. 

Metal-2 shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said, and he forced a smile. "Forget it." 

Amy only nodded, and she quietly decided to stay with him in case he needed any help. Some people watched from land, and some from ships in the water. The ships formed a fence-like wall to the left and to the right for the ponies to cross safely to the other side. Sonic and the others arrived just in time, too. Just a short tie after they entered the ship, a sound was heard nearby. 

"Listen!" Sonic said excitedly, looking toward the island. "I think I hear something…" 

Knuckles listened for a moment, and then he said, "Sounds like thunder." 

"I'm scared of storms," Freeway whispered, nestling in Tikal's arms to be safe. 

"Affirmative," Metal-2 reported to Sonic. "The ponies are coming in this direction." 

"Look, it's them!" Tails shouted, pointing, and everyone looked. 

"Yeah! It's the Mustangs!" Knuckles said, and then everyone looked at him, shaking their heads. 

Yes, it was the wild ponies, and they came in a herd, leaving their home island behind while men on horseback rounded them toward the water. They came in almost all sizes and their colors were like a natural rainbow. The water splashed onto them when the first few stepped into the water. 

"Here they come!" Sonic announced to his friends, and they were happy to see them. 

Freeway looked down at the water, and she saw the ponies swimming for the land. Everything seemed calm, until suddenly, there was an explosion behind the swimming ponies. 

"What was that?!" Amy screamed, holding onto Metal-2 when the ship shook. 

"Why, it was me!" answered a voice, they looked up to see someone who was not welcomed. 

"DOCTOR EGGMAN!" They all said together, and the scientist grinned in his ship. 

"Thank you, thank you," said Eggman, and then Metal Sonic appeared, hovering at his side. 

"How could you do this?!" Sonic asked angrily, looking up at the man. 

"It's really quite simple, but I'll explain when the world is mine!" Eggman laughed out loud. 

And at the man's side, Metal Sonic had a 'keep dreaming' look on his cold robotic face. Metal-2 left the ship, sending his fist into Metal Sonic's face, and the two machines fought in the air. 

"Oh no! No!" Tikal cried with her eyes closed with Freeway shivering in her arms. 

"And now," Eggman said, looking around. "Where is that total Chaos when I need him?" 

"You're going down, man!" Sonic said, jumping up toward the ship, attacking it. 

"Hey, leave some for me!" Shadow said, jumping up after the blue hedgehog. 

"So, he's the one who caused the explosion!" Knuckles said to himself. 

"Are any of the ponies hurt?" Tails asked, and the red echidna looked down at the water. 

"I don't think so, but it sure scared them," Knuckles answered, looking. 

"Knuckles, look!" Rouge pointed to a small baby pony, which was separated from its mother. 

"She's drowning!" Knuckles realized and then he quickly jumped into the water. 

"Knuckles!!" Tails called, but the echidna was already gone, swimming underwater. 

Meanwhile, Sonic and Shadow were attacking the enemy ship, and Metal-2 was quite busy with Metal Sonic in a fighting flight. Rouge wondered where Knuckles had gone to, but she knew she had to help the others, and so she left to enter the fight. Tails, Amy, Tikal, and Freeway stayed. 

"What should we do, Tails?" Amy asked the fox, turning away from the fighting machines. 

"I think I have a--!" Tails stopped when Eggman laughed at the boat they were in. 

"Lucky day, Tails," he said, "The ship you have chosen has explosives right underneath it!" 

Amy and Tikal screamed in fright, and Tails began to sweat when he heard a ticking sound. 

"You let them go!" Sonic yelled, giving another spin dash attack to the ship, leaving a dent. "Ouch!" Sonic yelped in pain, falling backward, but Shadow caught him in time. 

Then suddenly, the explosion came from underneath the boat, and Tails fell down with the others. He quickly stood up, and Amy ran to him with Tikal holding Freeway the baby deer. 

"I can't carry you both out of here!" Tails said to the girls sadly. 

"Here," Tikal said and she gave Freeway to Amy. "Take them, Tails." 

"But Tikal, I can't leave you here! It's too dangerous!" Tails said in the sinking ship. The fox took Tikal and Amy's hand, and with all he had, he tried to fly up. "We'll all go together!" 

Amy screamed again when she no longer felt a floor beneath, and she held Freeway tight. Tikal closed her eyes, afraid when the boat sank into the water where possibly more explosions were. Tails pulled up higher and higher, but he could not for long. They were slowly descending. 

"Metal-2!!" Tails called out, and the android left his current battle behind. 

"I'm coming! Hold on, Tails!" Metal-2 shouted, flying toward them. 

"What does it look like I'm doing?!" Tails shouted back, hardly able to fly any longer.

"HELP!!" Amy and Tikal screamed while Freeway closed her eyes tightly. 

Just in time, Metal-2 caught them. He carried Amy with one arm and Tikal in the other, while Tails somehow held onto the android's head. It was a windy ride, but they made it to safe land. Metal Sonic was damaged from the fight, but he watched with hatred how Metal-2 helped the crew out of danger. He mentally called Metal-2 a coward, among other things. Eggman in the meantime had to retreat because his ship was too damaged to continue with his plan. Rouge gave the ship a final kick before it turned away, escaping with the scientist. He left with Metal Sonic. 

"Hey, hey, hey! Wait a minute!" Sonic said, "Without a ship to kick, I'll fall into the drink!" 

"You want a straw with that?" Shadow asked, and with no answer, they began to fall. 

"AAAAIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!" Sonic yelled as he fell down below, heading for the water. 

Shadow covered his ears while falling, silent, and then by surprise, Rouge caught them both. She was close to land, so it was quite an easy flight there without any problems. She landed on the ground where Tails and the others were waiting. After a moment of catching his breath, he spoke. 

"Whew! Thanks, Rouge, you came just in time," Sonic said to the white bat. 

"No trouble, but where's Knuckles?" Rouge asked the others, but no one knew for sure. 

"I didn't see him," Shadow told her, and the others shook their heads, worried. 

Sonic tried to reassure the crew that Knuckles would be found, but then, they had to quickly move out of the way when the small herd of wild ponies began climbing on land, unharmed. 

"They made it, and they're all right!" Tails said, watching them reach land. 

"Yeah, but Knuckles is still missing," Tikal said sadly, and Amy was worried also. 

Freeway sighed, but then she suddenly lifted her head, looking toward the shore. "Look!" 

And when they looked, everyone had a surprised face to see Knuckles the Echidna, soaked with water as he gave the little pony a final push to its mother, and so it was safe at last on dry land. 

"Knuckles!!" Everyone called, and they ran to meet him. Knuckles felt his arms and legs shake a little after the hard swim with some mud on his shoes, and Tikal caught him with a hug. 

"Oh, Knuckles, you did it!" she said to him joyfully with gladness. "You saved her! You're the most wonderful and craziest echidna in the whole world!" 

"Oh, um…thanks, I think," Knuckles said weakly, and he took a deep breath of air. 

"We swam the whole way with you, Knuckles!" Amy said, cheering for him. 

"But what ever happened to Eggman?" Knuckles asked the others. 

"He left with Metal Sonic," Tails answered, pointing to the sky, which was safe now. 

"He'll be back," said Metal-2, and Sonic knew that as well. 

Before Sonic had any word to say, the crew was surrounded with people, who clapped and cheered for them. The people thanked them for saving the ponies, very grateful. 

"All in a day's adventure," Sonic said, and then Tails pulled his arm. "What, buddy?" 

"Sonic, the sun is setting, and all RVs have to be out of the parking space by nightfall." 

"That means us!" Sonic said, jumping ahead of the crew. "Come on, time to go!" 

"On the road again!" Knuckles said, and he followed after Sonic with the others. 

The people watched them leave, surprised. And as you know, on the road, home is where you park it, so Sonic returned to where it had been parked. The RV was safe and ready to move. 

"Now, this time, I'll drive!" Sonic smiled proudly, holding the keys in his hand. 

"Enjoy your fake keys, then!" Shadow snorted, running to the RV with the real keys. 

"HEY!" Sonic shouted, chasing after Shadow into the RV. 

"If they keep this up, we'll be on this island forever!" Tails said, sighing. 

Metal-2 nodded at his friend, and then he turned to the hedgehogs. "End this, or I drive!" 

"WHAT?" Sonic and Shadow asked, playing tug-o-war with the key ring. 

"You heard him!" Amy said, tapping her foot. "Let's just go peacefully, okay?" 

Sonic grinned. "Okay," and he took the keys from the surprised Shadow. "I drive!" 

"Whatever," Shadow snorted, and he took a long sip of coffee, but it was cold. "GROSS!" 

"Calm down," Tikal said after closing the door and everyone was safe inside the RV. 

"Okay, hold on, here we go!" Sonic said, and he turned the key, leaving the parking place. 

"I promise you first gear!" Shadow said, and then he fell back in his chair when Sonic drove. 

"Bye, bye, Chincoteague," Amy said to the open window. "And hello new places ahead." 

And while they drove away into the twilight, Dr. Eggman needed repairs for his ship, and Metal Sonic was already repaired, but Chaos Zero was still very worried about himself. He thought for sure that he was very ill, and he rested in a tree with an ice bag on his head. Metal Sonic ignored the creature, and he began working on repairs for the ship. Eggman had a TV dinner inside the ship, watching the screens for any signs of the RV. When he saw nothing, it seemed clear that they had left Chincoteague. But Eggman refused to believe that he lost. The RV was on its way into another journey with Sonic the Hedgehog as the driver, and so, what could go wrong?


	4. Stop Sign

**Chapter 4: Stop Sign **

Drip drop went the sound of morning rain as the RV came near North Carolina, leaving Virginia behind its bumper to travel onward in the road journey. Sonic the Hedgehog held the steering wheel, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. It was dark, misty, and windy outside. The windshield wipers stroked up and down to help the driver see when the raindrops came down. 

"It's not even April, but it's raining like it," Sonic said to the windshield. 

"Next you'll say the Easter Bunny is crossing the road," Shadow joked. 

"It is?" Knuckles asked, opening his eyes wide. "Where?" 

"Nowhere," Sonic replied, ignoring Shadow's grin for the moment to drive safely. 

"We're nowhere?" Tikal asked, surprised like all the others in the RV. 

"No, we're somewhere!" Sonic told them. 

"Where's somewhere?" Shadow asked, joking again, and Sonic growled. 

"Calm down, folks," Tails opened his laptop computer, opening his road files and maps. "According to this, we're now entering North Carolina, and just in time for a storm, too." 

"Then why on Earth didn't you just say so?" Rouge asked the blue driver. 

"I was going to, but it's hard to keep from—Hey!" Sonic suddenly felt the RV vibrate uneasily. The hedgehog steered carefully toward the side of the road to avoid any danger. 

"Easy, Frank!" Knuckles shouted when the RV tire screeched on the wet road.  

"I'm Sonic," he reminded one and all. "Sonic the Hedgehog!" 

Knuckles snorted. "Well, excuse me, Sonic the Roadhog." 

"Enough!!" Amy shouted, causing all to freeze for a moment. "What happened?" 

"Good news and bad news," Sonic said, still gripping the steering wheel. 

"What's the good news?" Tikal wondered. 

"We made it to North Carolina right on time, and there's no sign of Eggman following us." 

"Okay, great, but, what's the bad news?" Metal-2 asked him. 

Sonic swallowed, shrugged, and then he answered, "We're stuck." 

"Huh? We're what?" Knuckles asked. 

"Stuck," Sonic repeated, "S-T-U-C-K." 

"Oh, I thought you said tuck—What?! What do ya mean we're stuck?!" 

"The RV is caught in this dirt road and I can't get it to move." 

"It's like quicksand!" Tails said, looking outside a window to see the trapped tires. 

"Whoa!" Knuckles gasped, almost falling over when the back of the RV sank deeper. 

Sonic jumped from the driver seat. "Come on, Tails!" he called, heading for the door. 

"Sonic, what are we going to do?" Tails asked. 

"Rouge, take the wheel, Tikal, you're the co-pilot, and Amy, keep an eye in the back." Then Sonic turned to the others, and he said, "Guys, we're going out for a little pushing." 

"Push the RV?! Are you crazy?!" Knuckles asked, but when he felt it sink again, he nodded. 

"Besides, Metal-2 is very strong. I'm sure he can help us out," said Tails. 

Metal-2 lifted a thumb; winking and Sonic did the same in return. "Let's go!" Sonic tried to open the exit door, but when he did, it slammed closed again because of the strong wind outside. 

"Step aside," said Metal-2, and when Sonic moved away, Metal-2 forced the door open, and he kept it open until they were all outside. "Over there!" Metal-2 pointed to the trapped tires.

"Knuckles, Shadow, you take the left side!" Sonic shouted, and they moved to their places. "Tails!" Sonic called for the fox who was holding onto the RV with his eyes closed. 

"Sonic!!" Tails screamed, slipping away, and he flew into the hedgehog, knocking him down. 

Sonic blinked, opening his eyes. "Tails! Hey, Tails, you all right?" he asked with concern. 

Tails got up to his feet with his friend's help. "I'm fine, but how's the RV?" 

"Still trapped, but don't worry," Sonic said to him. "There's nothing we can't handle." 

"Sonic, look!" Metal-2 called, pointing at the sinking right tire, which was now barely seen. 

"Oh no," Sonic whispered to himself, and he hurried over to it. "We gotta get it out, fast!" 

Sonic and Tails pushed and pushed the RV's bumper, trying their best to free it, but the mud held it tight, and it was very heavy. Metal-2 stepped between the two, and with a strong grip on the bumper; he slightly lifted a tire out from the trap. This gave Sonic hope to push harder, and he did, surprising even himself. Tails' grip slipped away when Sonic and Metal-2 pushed it out, using their speed, ability and strength. Knuckles and Shadow were at the other trapped tire, trying to push it out, and they were both surprised to see it being set free. The RV began to move out of the mud and onto the street where it was called. Sonic and Metal-2 pushed, one running and one hovering, and Tails had to quickly hold onto the RV's ladder to go with them. Knuckles and Shadow held onto the fast moving RV from the side for the ride of speed with the wind and rain. 

"What's happening?!" Knuckles asked with his eyes shut at the wind. 

"It's that blue hedgehog and the android!" Shadow answered, hanging on tight. 

"Sonic, we're moving again!" Tails said from the ladder. 

"Good, we're moving outta here!" said Sonic, and Metal-2 winked an eye. 

Inside, Rouge the Bat was having quite a time driving while Tikal was afraid of the sudden burst of speed. Amy and Freeway watched from inside, next to a window in the back of the RV. 

"Rouge, watch out!" Tikal screamed at a low tree branch, and Rouge laughed as she made a turn. 

"I should drive more often; this is so much fun!" Rouge said, and then Tikal felt faint. 

Back outside, Knuckles slipped away from his grip because of the wind, and he landed on the RV roof. Shadow blinked at the red echidna that suddenly disappeared, and then he looked up. 

"Hey, Knuckles, where on Earth are ya going?!" he asked. 

Unsure himself, Knuckles replied, "I don't know, but I'll let you know when I get there!" 

Tails tried to open his eyes, barely able to see that the tires were now free. "Sonic, STOP!" 

"Okay!" Sonic nodded, and so he began to slow down to come to a safe stop on the road. 

Metal-2 helped the hedgehog stop the moving RV. The engine was off, but it moved because of their speed, and so after some screeches and smoking shoes, Sonic stopped running. The RV was safe, free, and even though it had mud all over it, everyone was fine, and thankfully, no injuries. 

"Great job, guys!" Sonic praised his crew. "We did it. Pretty clever hedgehog, aren't I?" 

"You're not so clever," said Shadow, standing while crossing his arms. 

Sonic turned to face the black one with wonder. "Oh? And why not?" he asked him. 

"The RV is on a hill." And before Shadow could even finish saying that, the RV moved forward, away from them, and what was worse, Knuckles was still on the roof. 

"SONIC!" Knuckles yelled as the RV went downhill. 

"Hurry! After that RV!" Tails shouted, and Sonic nodded, quick to move as he ran. 

Shadow ran at the blue hedgehog's side. "How do you plan on stopping it, Mister Clever?" 

"Well, I don't know, but I can't be wrong!" Sonic answered, shrugging. 

"Metal-2, quick!" Tails said, and the android moved in front of the RV, pushing it back. 

"Tails, tell them to apply the breaks!" Metal-2 requested, and Tails nodded, flying. 

"Rouge, hit the breaks!" Tails shouted at the RV's windshield. 

Tikal saw Tails first, and she pointed with her hand. "Rouge, look! It's Tails!"  

"What does he want?" Rouge wondered, still in the driver's chair with the steering wheel. 

"The breaks!" Tails shouted again, but he was hardly heard in the storm. 

"The rakes? The cakes?" Tikal tried to understand. "Quakes? Banks? Shakes?" 

"BREAKS!" Tails shouted as loud as a fox could, and then the two girls heard him. 

"The breaks, of course!" said Rouge, and she used them to slow the RV down until it stopped. 

Sonic and Shadow stopped beside the RV, watching Metal-2 let go of it, and Tails landed. "Good work!" said Sonic, and then he looked up. He saw something red, and he laughed. 

Shadow lifted an eyebrow, looking. "What's so funny to you?" he asked, hardly interested. 

"Look!" Sonic pointed at the stop sign. "After all that trouble, we still managed to stop!" 

"Is that ALL?!" Shadow stomped his foot, which splashed water on Sonic from a puddle. 

Sonic laughed, and then he did the same thing back to Shadow. This became a puddle fight. Tails and Metal-2 watched, blinking, and Knuckles peeked down from the RV roof when it was calm. 

"Is-is it safe now?" Knuckles asked, slowly climbing down to the street beside Tails. 

"As safe as it gets, I suppose," Metal-2 answered, and Tails just nodded. 

Amy opened the RV door, and she saw the two hedgehogs, soaked. "You're all wet!" 

Sonic and Shadow froze, looked down at themselves, then glared at each other. "Your fault!" 

"Silence, or else…um… or no hot chocolate!" Amy threatened.   

Sonic gasped. "No!" he said, "We'll just dry off with towels, no problem." 

Shadow was silent, and Tikal gave them each a towel so they could dry themselves. Tails dried off his tails, and then his head. Metal-2 looked at the fox's hair, and he helped to straiten it. When everyone was clean and dry, they returned inside the warm RV, out of the cold storm. 

"Let's get going," said Sonic. "I don't think we can stay much longer here in this storm." 

"We should find a place that's calm," Tails said. "And dry," Knuckles quickly added. 

"Hot chocolate for all!" Amy announced, and everyone cheered. 

Sonic hopped into the driver's chair, buckled up, and Shadow took his place also up front. 

"And now for the last time, no more careless turns." Shadow pointed to Sonic. 

"Hey, I was just following the road plan," Sonic defended. "And I always obey signs." 

"Well, let's move on, shall we?" Rouge asked, and the crew agreed, of course. 

Sonic nodded and he drove the RV out into a clear road that was nice and smooth. The windshield wipers were at work, but it began to become foggy, causing the vision ahead to be blurry. In the stormy darkness, red eyes glared out from the fog. When it cleared slightly, Metal Sonic appeared, but he did not stand there long. Chaos Zero was right behind him and almost blind, the creature walked into the blue robot, causing them both to stumble. 

"Ouch! Ouch! Another fat rock!" Chaos said, rubbing his head, and Metal growled. 

"No, you watery fool, it's me!" The robot pointed to his cold self. 

"Me who?" asked Chaos, still unable to see him clearly. 

Metal Sonic slapped his own face, and then he answered, "Me Metal!"  

"Boy, you can't even talk right. You're suppose to say, I'm Metal." 

"I know, you lamebrain, but I had to speak at your low level of intelligence."  

Misunderstanding, Chaos shrugged. "What does that mean?" 

"Forget it, which I'm sure is too easy for you. Now, look, the RV is approaching." 

Chaos looked, and then he saw bright headlights. "Ooh, scary monster eyes!" 

"Silence, you miserable tidal wave," Metal scolded. "We need a plan to stop them." 

Chaos scratched his head, and then he jumped to his feet with excitement. "I got a plan!" 

"Oh, I'm full of excitement!" Metal said with no seriousness whatsoever in his voice. 

"Watch this." Chaos winked, and then he ran out onto the road, holding something. 

Confused, Metal Sonic followed to see what Chaos was holding up. It was a stop sign. 

"See?" said Chaos, "Driver's have to obey the rules of the road, so maybe they'll stop." 

"I don't think so," Metal said quietly, turning to see the approaching RV. 

Inside the moving RV, Sonic looked carefully ahead. "Man, I can't see a thing!" 

"Let's stop in the next town until it clears," Tails said with a map. "It's not far from here." 

Back outside, Metal Sonic looked at Chaos, then at the RV again. "They're not stopping…" 

"Don't worry, Metal, they will." Chaos was sure of it, and assured with himself. 

"…They're NOT stopping!" Metal backed away from the wet road to safety in time. 

Chaos bravely held up the sign. "Stop, sardine vessel, stop in the name of the--" 

And SPLAT! The RV hit Chaos, and Sonic felt the sudden, unexpected impact.

"Whoa! What was that?" he asked, and Shadow peeked out after a sip of coffee. 

"It's just a big old bug," Shadow said, closing the window to buckle again. 

When the RV was gone, Metal Sonic jumped out from behind a large rock and he found Chaos on the road, still holding the stop sign in his hand. Metal Sonic lifted the creature up and shook him. "You failed again, as always, and how dare you stand in the middle of the road? It's dangerous!" 

"Sorry, but now what? How can we catch them when they're moving like this?" 

"We'll have to take a shortcut for the next town. That's where they're going." And they left.


	5. Dashing Chase

**Chapter 5: Dashing Chase **

Unlike storm chasers, Sonic the Hedgehog and his crew left North Carolina behind, trying to avoid a heavy storm, which came with almost no warning. For a while, fog, rain, lightning, and wind were like road signs in the journey, but when they stopped in a small town somewhere in South Carolina, it was a little calmer there, so they rested after a long drive. The thunder could be heard from the distance behind them as the RV rested in a park. There was no rain yet, but the signs of a storm followed them there. It was expected for South Carolina to have rain next. While Sonic was taking a nap, very tired after the driving, Tails was quietly searching for his radio, which he packed in his suitcase. He pulled it out, and then he joined the others outside. 

"I found it!" Tails announced, coming to the crew, and they were roasting hotdogs. 

"Great!" said Knuckles. "Maybe now we can find out what that storm is all about." 

"Turn it on, Tails," Amy requested, and the fox did so, sitting down on a tree stump. 

Tails turned the dial, and after a few laughs of hearing Spanish channels and strange radio commercials, Tails found a weather channel. He turned the dial again to clear the sounds of static until the speaker was heard reporting. "…And it was reported yesterday that Hurricane Trucker has moved in toward North Carolina and is fast approaching South Carolina as I speak. We advise careful caution for all road travelers who may be passing these states…" 

"What? Hurricane Trucker?" Rouge said, "That's a funny name for a storm." 

"Did it say, all road travelers?" Freeway asked, shivering in a blanket. 

"Good grief!" said Tails when he realized it. "That's us!" 

"So?" Shadow said without worries of the uncertain. "We made it this far, alive." 

"Yeah, but a hurricane can be very, very dangerous," said Tikal. "It's deadly." 

Amy lifted her hotdog on a stick while Metal-2 watched. "Well, Sonic says it's okay." 

"How can we tell that we're safe now, besides his snoring?" Knuckles smirked. 

Rouge elbowed the red echidna. "Stop that, Knuckles," she said. "Let him rest." 

"Ouch! Okay, okay," he said, moving away from the white bat. "Some humor." 

"Still, we should be careful," Metal-2 cautioned the others. "We're not outta the woods yet." 

"Oh, I know that," said Freeway, looking around. "There's trees here, and it's nice." 

Metal-2 smiled. "That's not quite what I meant, Freeway, but you're right." 

Knuckles blew on his hotdog to cool it off before eating it, and then Rouge looked at hers. She shook it slightly because a small flame was on the meat, and when it resisted, she shook it a little harder, but then it flew off the stick and into Knuckles' mouth when the echidna yawned. Surprised, Knuckles swallowed the meal with one big gulp, and then Rouge glared. 

"You better pay me back!" she said, and Knuckles swallowed, passing his hotdog sick to her.  

Tails sighed, turned off the radio, and he watched the cloudy sky. "It'll be here soon…" 

"That's not good to hear. Must we go already?" Amy asked, and Metal-2 shrugged. 

"Not sure about that question, Amy, but we'll have to leave soon," Metal-2 replied. 

Shadow quietly took the last sip of his coffee. "Something is missing…" 

"Well, well," said a voice nearby. "Perhaps I am what is missing!" 

Shadow and the others jumped to their feet to face Dr. Eggman in the Egg Hornet. 

"It's you, Doctor Eggman!" Knuckles said, surprised at the sudden appearance. 

"So that's the Egg Hornet," Rouge said, looking up at the flying machine. 

"And look, a talking egg is riding it!" Metal-2 added, mocking. 

"Enough of this!" Eggman demanded like a man. "Now, I shall destroy you for good!" 

"If you destroy us, that's not good, you evil man!" Tikal shouted at him bravely. 

"It most certainly is, but since you guys gave me such an interesting chase with that miserable bus of yours, I'll give you a chance to survive…" Then Eggman called his robot, "Metal Sonic!" 

The cold blue machine appeared beside the floating ship. "At your service." 

"Would you like to see the menu, sir?" asked another voice, which was Chaos Zero. 

"NO!" Eggman shouted. "Get rid of those pests!" he pointed to the crew. "And that RV!" 

Chaos, below the Egg Hornet, saluted. "I compare and obey!" he said, chuckling. 

"That's 'I compute and obey!'" Metal corrected the water creature with a slap. 

Eggman sighed, and when he looked, he was shocked to see the RV gone. "After them, now!" 

Metal Sonic dashed ahead, and Chaos waved his big hand before leaving in a puddle. Back in the RV, Metal-2 had the wheel, almost sure they made an easy escape, but it was too good to last when he saw Metal Sonic in the mirror. Strangely and quite amazingly, Sonic continued sleeping on the sofa, covered with a warm blanket with his white socks on. If he only knew… 

"Metal-2, I see something evil in the mirror, and it's closer than it appears!" Tails warned. 

"Acknowledged, Tails," he said, looking again. "Looks like our escape plan failed." 

"My plan in the beginning was to fight!" said Knuckles. 

"But we can't risk damage to the RV," Tikal reminded him. "We must keep it safe!" 

"Of course," Rouge added. "After all, it is our home on wheels while we're out here."  

"Leave this one to me," Shadow said, heading for the door. 

"I'm going with you, Shadow," Metal-2 said. "Here, drive!" he said to Tails. …To Tails?! 

"Wow!" Tails said happily, taking the steering wheel, driving on the road. "Way cool!" 

"That crazy kid can't drive!" Rouge shouted when the fox made a slight turn. 

"No time to argue!" said Metal-2. "I'm going to help Shadow, and you help Tails!" 

"Fine," Rouge agreed, but she looked away from the android when he left. 

"Tikal, get down!" Amy warned, pushing the echidna away from walling pots. 

"I think we're in the rough!" Freeway said, and then a little pot fell on her head. "Hey!" 

Tikal lifted the pot from Freeway so the fawn could see, and then she held her. Knuckles looked toward the exit door to leave, but then, a cabinet above opened because of the rough ride, and a heavy pot hit the echidna's head, knocking him out. Knuckles fell over with colorful stars. 

"Hold on, everyone!" said Tails, and Rouge sat down in the front passenger chair. 

After all that noise, the poor, tired Sonic began to snore cutely on the sofa, dreaming. And now, we join Shadow outside, where the black hedgehog found himself on top of the RV, seeking. Metal-2 climbed up after him, and then suddenly, Metal Sonic knocked Shadow down from behind, and the hedgehog gripped the edge of the moving RV to avoid falling. Metal-2 glanced at the fallen Shadow, and then he quickly turned to see the enemy robot land on the RV. 

"I've waited a long time for this," said Metal Sonic. "Now, surrender your defeated vessel!" 

"Surrender is not in my language!" said Metal-2, preparing to fight.  

Angry, Metal Sonic attacked him, and the two machines fought each other. The Egg Hornet followed the RV, and soon found it escaping. Eggman laughed his famous, evil laugh. 

"The poor things," he said, looking down at the RV. "They can't escape me this time!" And then he moved in for a closer look, and if he timed it just right, he could fire on the RV target. 

Chaos crashed into the back of the RV, and he held onto the ladder where Shadow was. "YOU!" they both said at the same time when they saw each other. "Hey! Where did you come from?! Quit copying me! You started it! Get lost!" Shadow ended the childish fight with a kick. 

Chaos yelped, lost his grip, and then he fell onto the approaching Egg Hornet. Eggman had a close encounter with the water kind when Chaos Zero suddenly landed right in front of him. 

Chaos rubbed his head, blinked, and then he waved. "Hi, Doc. Um…what's up?" 

"Get back down there, you beast!" Eggman shouted angrily, throwing Chaos back.

"WhoOOOOOoooOOooAAAaaaaaaaaaa!" Chaos screamed in fright as he fell back. 

"You're not welcomed here!" Shadow said, and so he kicked Chaos away again. 

While flying back to the Egg Hornet, Chaos shrugged. "I don't know if I'm coming or going!" 

Back to the robot fight, the two had each other at the throats when Metal Sonic pinned Metal-2 down with strong force. "And now to put you out of your misery, failed experiment!" 

"Let's just take you out!" said Metal-2, and by surprise, he threw Metal Sonic up into the air, and the robot that was caught off guard was sent into the Egg Hornet, and the ship crashed. 

Metal-2 turned from his back onto his stomach, on top of the RV, and he watched the explosion on the side of the road. Just then, he remembered Shadow, and so he hurried to the ladder. 

"Shadow, grab my hand!" Metal-2 called, reaching out to the black hedgehog. 

For a short moment, Shadow hesitated, but then he took the helping hand, and Metal-2 pulled him back up. "Are they gone?" Shadow asked after nodding thanks to him. 

Metal-2 nodded. "Affirmative," he answered. "That damage will keep them busy for a while, and besides, the hurricane will most likely slow them down in their chase for us." 

"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Shadow, looking at him, and then they left for the others. 

Shadow climbed into the RV and Metal-2 followed, closing the door after them. Tails chuckled, driving along the road while Rouge relaxed, Amy and Tikal were busy picking up the dishes and things that fell during the escape from the dashing chase, and Freeway nuzzled Knuckles to wake him up. The echidna blinked, and then he sat up, rubbing his head where a bruise appeared. 

"Is everyone all right?" Metal-2 asked the crew while Shadow looked around. 

"We're okay," Rouge gave the answer. "But I think he's a little too fine." She pointed to Tails. 

The young fox was having a great time, hardly noticing Metal-2 and Shadow's return inside the RV. Metal-2 approached the driver's chair, and he leaned an arm on it, grinning. 

"Okay, Tails, you can stop now," he said, and Tails sighed, nodding with understanding. 

After a look of disappointment, he slowed the RV down to a stop. "All right." 

"Good work, Tails, you did great," Metal-2 proudly praised, and Tails smiled brightly. 

"What a chase," said Amy, sitting down to rest in a chair. "He almost had us then." 

Knuckles rubbed his head again. "I didn't get to fight, but man does my head hurt." 

Tikal placed an ice bag on Knuckles' head to give some pain relief. "There you go." 

Shadow turned to see Sonic, who was still asleep, believe it or not. Shadow took a deep breath to warn the others to cover their ears, and then he shouted, "WAKE UP, BLUE THING!" 

Surprised, Sonic quickly sat up on the sofa, looking in all directions with pure confusion. He yawned, stretching as he turned to see the others. "Oh, you're all here," he said, sleepily.  

"And it's a miracle that we are still here," Shadow said, which confused Sonic further. 

"Is it the storm?" Sonic asked, and then he said, "I almost thought I heard thunder in my sleep." 

"It's a hurricane!" Tails told him, "I heard about it on the radio back in the RV Park." 

"You mean we moved already? But who drove us?" Sonic asked, and Tails swallowed. 

"Never mind that now," said Metal-2. "We need to get moving before the storm arrives." 

"You're right," Sonic agreed, slipping his red shoes on before taking the steering wheel. "I'm all rested and ready to go again." Sonic turned the key, and the RV took them away for safety.

"Buckle up!" Shadow told the others as he did so in the front passenger chair. 

With the song Escape from the City playing, the RV moved on with everyone safe in their places, some resting, some watching windows, and Tails was busy with his maps to find a way. 

= = = = = 

Behind the RV, the storm entered South Carolina, and in that same state, Dr. Eggman had to repair his Egg Hornet ship in an abandoned garage for shelter and some needed tools. Metal Sonic was damaged after the fight also, and he locked his arm back on while Chaos Zero held his dizzy head. He had been tossed and thrown back and forth from the RV to the ship. 

"How can you take it, Metal?" Chaos asked the repairing blue robot. 

"I've been in pieces before, so it's no big deal," Metal Sonic replied, finishing up. 

"They're not going to get away with this!" said Eggman. "We'll find them, whenever they're going to next, and then finally, I shall have them right where I want them." 

"Like a mouse in a trap, huh?" Chaos asked sadly, and he sighed. "Poor Jerry." 

"That road hedgehog will be history, and his RV will join the landfill!" Eggman laughed. 

Metal Sonic and Chaos shrugged, unsure about the next plan, but whatever it was it could not be good for the traveling team ahead. Their vacation was going to become yet another dangerous adventure, but Sonic the Hedgehog would not have it any other way. He expected something like this to happen, but with a hurricane storm chasing them, they had to move on to find a safer place to be, to continue their ride on the road together into the exploration of towns, cities and streets.


	6. Stunning Georgia

**Chapter 6: Stunning Georgia **

While the song Georgia on My Mind played in the adventuring RV on the road, together the Sonic crew entered the state called Georgia. Yes, the rain kept coming down, and the storm seemed to travel with them, which was rather disappointing in a vacation. Sonic was glad with a sense of relief when he entered a city called Atlanta. To his surprise and delight, the weather was calm, peaceful, and besides that, the team needed a place to stop for a time. The state of Georgia is larger than any other state east of the Mississippi, and Atlanta is its largest city. 

"Okay, guys, this is it," Sonic said to his friends. "We made it to Atlanta!" 

Half asleep, Shadow sat up. "What? Where? I knew you should have let me drive!"  

"Why is that?" Sonic asked, coming to a stop at a traffic red light. 

"Because you drove us strait into Atlantis!" Shadow said, and everyone gasped. 

"I always wanted to see that!" Tails said with pure excitement. "We found it!" 

"No, wait!" Sonic corrected them, "I said, Atlanta, NOT Atlantis." 

"How do you know, Sonic?" Amy asked him, looking out the window. 

"Because Atlantis doesn't exist," he said, but the others shook their heads.  

"Well, like it or not, we're here," said Rouge, smiling. 

"But I always thought Atlantis was flooded underwater, completely destroyed," Knuckles said, and he turned to Tails, who was opening his laptop. "Hey, maybe they renamed it." 

"No, I don't think so," Tails told him. "Atlanta is Georgia's largest city, and we're in the middle." 

"At least the storm is over," Tikal said with relief to see some sunshine. "How nice." 

Metal-2 looked at the laptop screen, curious about the streets. "Strange how at least thirty-two streets in Georgia are named for peaches. They must really like that fruit in this area."  

Tails chuckled. "Georgia has a long growing season, and so the people farm onions and peaches a lot. I hear that the onions here are sweet because of the slow-sulfur soil and mild climate."

"Hardly understood a word you said." Sonic shrugged, and he drove again at the green light. 

"Wow, what a city!" Amy gasped with surprise as she gently pulled a curtain to see. 

"We should take pictures," Freeway reminded the hedgehog about the camera. 

"Good idea, Freeway." Amy climbed down for her pink suitcase, seeking. After a quick search, she found it safe, but it was out of film. "Oh no, my camera!" she said, holding it. 

"What's wrong with it?" Tikal asked, and Rouge looked over to see also. 

"It's out of film, and most of the photos taken are of the restaurants!" Amy shouted. 

Knuckles blushed, and he hid behind Metal-2, and the blue android showed a sweat drop.  

"Calm down, Amy," Tails said. "Remember, we're in a city now, so we can find new film." 

"You hear that, Shadow?" Sonic asked, driving. "Looks like we need to stop soon." 

"You better do that," the black hedgehog said, nodding. "I need more coffee." 

"What a survivor," Sonic chuckled, and he made a turn toward some shopping places. He parked at a safe place, stopped the engine, and then he stood up, stretching. "Okay, let's go." 

"Next we have to find some film," Rouge, and she asked, "But where should we look first?" 

"I'll go this way," Shadow pointed west. 

"And I'll go that way," Knuckles pointed to the east. 

"I'll go the other way," Sonic pointed up north. 

"And we'll go anyway," Amy said, stepping outside. "Come on, girls." 

Tails smiled while the other boys watched the girls leave to go shopping. Metal-2 stood beside the fox, blinking. Sonic and the others went outside of the RV, breathing the fresh air. 

"I knew it," Sonic said proudly. "This is the best place to stop in Georgia." 

"Yeah, it's been on my mind for some time," Knuckles added. 

"Well, while the girls shop, let's have a look around," Tails suggested, and they agreed. 

Sonic led the way as they walked through the city, and they found it to be a friendly place to visit, that is, when you do not count the angry, sometimes dangerous stray dogs that roamed there. Sonic stopped next to Shadow when the black hedgehog suddenly stopped walking. 

"What is it, Shadow?" Sonic asked. 

Shadow turned around to answer, but then he saw a pack of stray dogs behind the blue hedgehog. "Trouble!" He shouted, pointing, and Sonic froze when he heard the growling. 

"Lookout!" Knuckles warned Sonic, and the hedgehog quickly jumped to safety. 

"Oh no!" Tails gasped when he saw the danger. 

"Don't worry, Tails," Metal-2 said, walking ahead of the fox. "I'll blast 'em!" 

"NO!" Tails shouted, and he held Metal-2's arm, pulling him back. 

Knuckles and Shadow were trapped in a corner as four dogs moved toward them. Strange how fear can often make one forget of his or her ability because as you know, Knuckles can climb. 

"Hey, that's right!" he said, and he climbed up the wall to escape sharp jaws. 

"How pathetic," Shadow said as he looked at the snarling dogs. 

Just then, Sonic jumped in, keeping Shadow behind him and in his hand was a weapon that was sure to work; at least he hoped so. It usually worked in the movies. It was a fetching stick. Sonic whistled, catching the dogs' attention. "Here boy, fetch the stick!" he said, throwing it. 

Shadow watched in amazement to see that the crazy idea actually worked. 

"They're gone!" Knuckles told the others, and then he jumped down, landing safely. 

"Where did you get that idea?" Metal-2 asked Sonic. 

"Bugs Bunny," he answered, grinning while Shadow shook his head. 

Confused, Metal-2 whispered a question to Tails. "Who is Bugs Bunny?" 

"Someone you never want to hunt," Tails quietly replied, and Metal-2 shrugged. 

"You are the hunted!" said a voice above, and when Sonic and the others looked up, they saw the evil Metal Sonic, and he landed between Shadow and Knuckles. "Now, surrender!" 

"Maybe next Christmas!" Knuckles snorted, and then suddenly, Metal Sonic fired a stun gun right at the red echidna. Knuckles was stunned, and he fell backward with Sonic catching him. 

Metal-2 aimed to fire his blasters, but Tails yelled, "No, you'll hit the building, too!" 

"Perhaps you're right," Metal-2 agreed. "Then I shall fight hand-to-hand!" 

"Come and get me, coward!" Metal Sonic coldly challenged. 

"Be careful!" Tails shouted when Metal-2 flew away after the enemy robot into the sky. 

"What happened to Knuckles?" Shadow asked, looking down at him. 

"He's stunned!" Sonic answered, trying to shake the echidna awake. 

Tails scratched his head, trying to think of an idea, but then a shadow of a ship came over him with no warning. Tails looked up, and he gasped when he saw Dr. Eggman. "Sonic, look!" 

Sonic did so, and he blinked at the Egg Hornet ship, which was repaired. "So, it's you!" 

"Of course, just out testing my new stun guns," Eggman grinned proudly. 

Just then, out of a puddle in front of Tails, Chaos Zero appeared. "Here I is!" he said, holding a stun gun also. "And now, there is no chance of an escape this time, for I have in my hand, the plush gun!" And this made Eggman feel ashamed because that was not his invention's name. 

"The what?" Tails asked, backing away, trembling. 

"Chaos, fire on that fox, now!" Eggman commanded, and Chaos pulled the trigger, but lucky for Tails, Chaos stunned himself because he was pointing the gun in the wrong direction.  

Tails ran to Sonic unharmed, and Shadow looked at the frozen Chaos. "Ha! He missed." 

"But I won't!" Eggman promised, aiming a gun at Shadow. "Say your last words!" 

"Heads up!" Sonic shouted, and everyone ran for cover before Eggman fired. "Time to turn tail, crew! Let's get out of here, quick!" Sonic called, running while holding the stunned Knuckles. 

"I'll get you, hedgehog!" Eggman shouted, firing again, barely missing the blue blur. 

"Hurry, Shadow! This way!" Tails called, following after Sonic, and Shadow went with him. 

Eggman fired a reverse shot at Chaos, awaking him. "After them, Chaos!" he commanded. 

"Boy, I feel numb," said the creature, stumbling after the running heroes to find them. 

Sonic and the others with him ran, but Eggman and Chaos were after them. Tails suddenly stopped when Chaos appeared in front of him with the weapon ready to fire. 

"Hands up, fox!" Chaos demanded, and Tails shakily did so, sweating. Chaos chuckled, aimed to fire, but then, Metal Sonic fell from the sky, crushing Chaos into a puddle.  

Confused and quite surprised, Tails looked up. "Thanks, Metal-2!" 

The android hedgehog landed beside the fox. "No problemo," he said, smiling. 

"RUN!" Shadow shouted, running passed them as fast as he could with Eggman chasing him.

Metal-2 quickly took Tails before a stun blast hit him, and he followed after Shadow. 

Eggman stopped his ship for a moment, looking down at Metal and Chaos. "Get up immediately, you two! I want that hedgehog!" He shouted, pointing. 

Metal Sonic jumped to his feet, brushing some dust off. "I compute," he snarled. 

"Sic 'em!" Chaos said as he arose from the puddle and Metal quickly ran right through him, causing him to fall back into the puddle. Chaos followed after Metal anyway. 

"Over here!" Sonic called to the others, standing near a closed door with Knuckles. 

"Sonic, he almost got us!" Tails told him when Metal-2 let him down. 

"And me!" said Shadow, still keeping his eyes alert for the stun guns. 

"Where are we?" Knuckles asked weakly, awakening from the stun blast. 

"We're still in Georgia, but we're being chased," Sonic briefly explained. 

"And if we don't escape, we'll be plushed!" Shadow said, surprising Knuckles. 

"The only way out now is through this building," Tails told them, holding a map. 

"Hey, what kind of building is this?" Metal-2 asked. 

Tails looked at the map again. "Wow! It's the Georgia Dome, a stadium in downtown Atlanta, also one of the sites for the 1996 Olympic games. Stunning!"  

"No more stunning, please!" Knuckles begged, climbing back to his feet to stand up. 

"No time to lose," Sonic said, opening the door. "Let's go!" 

After everyone entered, Metal-2 quietly closed the door before joining the others inside. Just when the door closed, Metal Sonic and Chaos came to the door, and they suddenly crashed into each other. Metal Sonic sat up while Chaos rubbed his watery head with his hand. 

"Ouch! Ouch!" Chaos whined, holding his head. "My brain hurts a bunch!" 

"You don't have a brain, you boiling pot of trouble!" Metal Sonic slapped his head.

"Ouch!" Chaos yelped. "How do you know I don't have a brain?" he asked. 

"Because I can see right through you, but I see no signs of intelligence at all, Zero!"  

"Oh, yeah," Chaos said, nodding. "Mom always said I was crystal clear." He chuckled. 

"Forget it." Metal Sonic jumped to his feet and he saw the door. "Perhaps they're hiding…" 

"Oh, boy, hide and seek!" Chaos ran to the door, opening it. "I'll find 'em!" And he entered. 

"You foolish fool!" Metal Sonic scolded, running after him inside. 

Dr. Eggman heard the voices, and he hovered in his ship above the building. Inside, Sonic and the crew tiptoed their way through the building, standing against a wall as they moved toward an exit, which they had to find first. It was dark and quiet, and then they heard music behind them. Sonic stopped when he heard the song Georgia on My Mind playing with a man singing live on stage. The people clapped and cheered, and then they listened to the song. Metal Sonic and Chaos heard the song also when they came near. Sonic took a peek when he came to the end of the wall, and he saw the stage with a crowd of people watching the singers and musicians. 

"We can't go this way," Sonic whispered to his friends. "Let's go out the back way." He turned, but then, he came face to face with Metal Sonic. "Oh no," he gulped, sweating. "It's you." 

"All your brains are belong to me!" Metal Sonic aimed the gun at the blue hedgehog, but Sonic jumped away, running. The robot chased him with Chaos following, humming the song. 

Metal-2 picked up Tails, and he took him to safety away from Chaos while Knuckles and Shadow ran after Sonic with the enemy robot chasing them. On the stage, the singer thanked the people for cheering, and then he began to sing the song called On the Road Again. 

On the road again  
Just can't wait to get on the road again  
The life I love is makin' music with my friends  
And I can't wait to get on the road again  
On the road again  
Goin' places that I've never been  
Seein' things that I may never see again  
And I can't wait to get on the road again.

On the road again  
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway  
We're the best of friends  
Insisting that the world be turnin' our way  
And our way  
Is on the road again  
Just can't wait to get on the road again  
The life I love is makin' music with my friends  
And I can't wait to get on the road again

As the music played and the song was sung, Sonic and the crew ran for their minds from Metal Sonic and Chaos just behind the stage. Metal Sonic fired a shot, forcing Sonic to make a dive for his life, and he landed on his feet, on the stage while the man was finishing the road song. 

"What is THIS?" he asked, stunned with surprise at the blue hedgehog. 

The crew appeared on the stage also with Sonic, and the people continued clapping. 

"Crew, to the RV!" Sonic said, pointing to the exit ahead. "We're on the road again!" 

The people cheered louder at the song's title, and Sonic ran off the stage, leaving. 

"Hey, Sonic! Wait for us!" Knuckles called, running after the hedgehog for the outdoors. 

"Run for your sanity!" Shadow said, hovering off the stage with his special air shoes. 

Tails moved to follow them, but he stopped at a microphone on the stage, curious. He lowered it down to his level of height and then he said, "Thank you very much," to the cheering people. 

"Come on, Elvis!" Metal-2 said, taking the fox by one of his tails, leaving the stage. 

And so, Sonic and the crew escaped out of the building unharmed, but they left the singers stunned. The people seemed to have been enjoying all of it, though. Suddenly, Metal Sonic and Chaos came on the stage, and the robot glared up at the lead singer who held a guitar. 

"Have you seen this hedgehog?" Metal Sonic asked, showing the man a photo of the hero.  

"He--he went that way!" he pointed in the wrong direction so Sonic could escape. 

Metal Sonic took Chaos by the foot, and then he flew out of the building, heading in the way the man directed him. After that, the man took a long careful look at his drink before singing again. 

= = = = = 

Later that day… 

Dr. Eggman had lost Sonic and the crew again, but he continued to search Atlanta for any clues with Metal Sonic and Chaos. The crew rested safely beside the RV, tired after the chase. Metal-2 was not tired, so he stood watching over the weary travelers. They were asleep when the girls finally returned from shopping in town. They stopped, let their bags down, and they giggled. 

"My goodness, were we gone for THAT long?" Tikal asked, chuckling at the sleeping heroes. 

"They must have been bored out of their skins, and they fell asleep waiting for us," said Rouge. 

"Sure looks like it," Freeway agreed, smiling at them. 

"Metal-2, is everything okay? Are they all right?" Amy asked him, quietly approaching. 

"Everything is fine now, Amy. There is no need to worry," Metal-2 answered calmly. 

"I wonder where we're going to next," Tikal said as she carried the bags inside the RV. 

"We'll find out soon," Rouge said, and Amy looked down at the sleeping boys. 

"Maybe you should drive us out, Metal-2. They need some rest," she said. 

"You read my mind." Metal-2 smiled, carrying her inside first. "We're gone."


	7. Mouse Trap

**Chapter 7: Mouse Trap **

Sonic the Hedgehog woke up to the sound of wind outside a window of the RV. It was moving, but he was not driving. He sleepily sat up and then he saw Shadow asleep on the sofa, holding an empty mug that used to have coffee in it. So, Shadow was not driving the RV either. 

"Then who?" Sonic spoke his thoughts, standing up. "Who drove us out here?" 

"Oh, that would be me," a voice with a Russian accent answered from the driver's chair. 

"Metal-2," Sonic said, smiling. "Hey, where are we now?" he asked Tails. 

The fox was looking at a map on his laptop screen. "At this moment, we entered Florida." 

"Cool!" Amy said happily. "That means we can go visit the beach. That'll be fun!" 

"Yeah," Rouge agreed. "But there should also be some treasure hunting sites around."

Knuckles opened his eyes, leaving his sleep. "Treasure? Where?" He asked. 

"Wait," said Tikal, and then she asked, "What if that storm is still following us?" 

"Negative," Metal-2 told the others. "We're clear of bad weather for now." 

"That's great!" Freeway cheered, and then she giggled at the snoring Shadow. 

"Let's stop in the next town to plan our next tour," Sonic said, and Metal-2 nodded. 

"And we have new film now," Amy reminded everyone, smiling. 

"Hey, hey," Rouge whispered to the girl hedgehog. "Take a snap shot of Shadow." 

"But he's sleeping," Amy whispered back after looking at him. 

Rouge winked her eye. "I know, that's what makes it worth a shot." 

"Okay, I'll try," Amy said quietly, taking her camera. She silently approached the sofa, careful and quiet as a mouse. She pointed the camera, took a picture, and the flash woke him up. 

"Save the hedgehogs and children first!" Shadow shouted, and everyone looked at him. 

Amy quickly hid the camera, blushing while Shadow rubbed his sleepy eyes. 

"It was only a dream, Shadow," Sonic said to him. "Look, we're in Florida now." 

Shadow blinked, looked out the window, nodded, and then he gasped when he saw Sonic. "Wait a minute! If you're here, who on Earth is driving this thing?!" he asked, surprised. 

"Metal-2 took the wheel because you all fell asleep," Tikal explained. 

Shadow thought for a moment. "Oh, right, I remember now. That was stunning." 

"No stunning!" Knuckles said, backing away from the black hedgehog.  

"Knuckles, were you stun by a bee or something?" Rouge asked curiously. 

"Yeah, it was the biggest bee I ever saw." Knuckles spoke of Dr. Eggman. 

Tails sighed in the front passenger chair, put away the map, and then he watched Metal-2 drive. Metal-2 moved his eyes slightly to look at Tails, and then he returned them to the road, silent. Tails looked out at the road also, thinking. Suddenly, he saw something on the road ahead. 

"Metal-2, stop!" Tails said, and the RV came to a complete stop, which confused the others. 

"What's up?" Sonic asked, walking up to the driver. "Why did you stop?" 

"Because he told me to." Metal-2 answered, looking at Tails. 

"Sonic, I saw something," Tails said, unbuckling. "It's out there." He pointed at the road. 

"Let's go cheek it out," Sonic said, lifting Tails from the chair, and he let him down. 

"It could be a trap!" Knuckles cautioned, following Sonic and Tails outside. 

Amy took another picture before running outside with Tikal. Rouge jumped out after them and Shadow climbed out the window. He always seemed to take another way to be different. 

"And you know it," Shadow said when he landed on the ground, and then he followed Rouge. 

Freeway watched from a window while Metal-2 unbuckled, but he remained in his chair. Tails stopped when he saw a turtle in the middle of the road and Sonic laughed when he saw it. 

"Hey! This happened before," Knuckles said, remembering. "You think it followed us?" 

"Oh, please, Knuckles," Rouge teased. "You don't really believe in a spy turtle, do you?" 

"I might." Knuckles grinned at the bat, and she glared at him, which made him sweat. 

"Well, let's get this turtle off the road before someone hits it," Sonic said, and Tails helped him. 

"How brilliant," Shadow said sarcastically. "What else is ahead of this strange road?" 

"I don't know for sure," Amy said. "But something tells me it's going to be a blast." 

"Won't a blast hurt?" Tikal asked her, and Amy laughed playfully. 

"No, that's not what I meant." Then Amy tried to explain the meaning to the echidna. 

"We better head back," Knuckles said, turning to leave, and then Sonic and Tails returned. 

"Okay, guys, it's clear. Now with that out of the way, what could possibly--"

"Don't say it!!" Knuckles shouted, but he was too late when Sonic asked what could possibly go wrong, and with Sonic's arms still confidently raised with the question, rain came down. 

"You did it again!" Shadow said, shaking a fist, and then he ran for the RV. 

"Hurry, run!" Amy took Tikal by the hand and they ran for shelter with Rouge following. 

"That happened all the sudden," Tails said, standing in the rain. "There was no signs of rain or reports on the radio." He shrugged, and then he shook the water off before joining the others. 

Sonic stood with his arms raised, eyes closed, and then Knuckles poked him. "Hey, come on!" 

Then Sonic opened his green eyes. "Rain!" he said, surprised as he ran back to the RV. 

"Most unusual," said Metal-2. "Where did this rain come from?" 

"The sky!" Freeway answered just as the crew entered the RV for shelter.   

"Let's move out!" Sonic said, pointing ahead, and so the RV traveled forward. 

"And let's get outta this rain," Knuckles said, drying off. 

= = = = = 

Meanwhile… 

Somewhere behind the RV, miles away in Silver Springs, Dr. Eggman, Metal Sonic, and Chaos Zero stared down at a map they found at a nearby gas station. Florida had many roads, plenty of turns with amazing things to see, but one mad scientist could lose a RV quite easily there. 

"WHERE did they go?!" Eggman shouted the question, causing Chaos to fall over with surprise at the sudden noise, but Metal stood, unmoved beside the Egg Hornet. 

"Unknown, Doctor, but if they're here, they'll surely be found," Metal assured him. 

Chaos climbed back to his watery feet. "Um…Metal, may you have a word with me?"

"No! I don't want anything with you!" The robot glared at him. "You failed again!" 

"But I think I know where they are," he said, removing his yellow backpack. 

"Since when do you think?" Metal asked, not bothering to look at him now. 

"Oh, whenever I can," Chaos replied, and then he said, "The RV always looks for fun places, so we should look in all the tourist attractions and stuff, you know, all the exciting places." 

"I cannot get excited over anything, except maybe the day the Doctor sells you or something." 

"Wait!" Eggman said, throwing the map aside. "I think Chaos has something there…" 

Chaos blinked, confused. "I do? Where?" He looked around while Metal shook his head. 

"I have that RV right where I want it now," Eggman chuckled, rubbing his hands together. "And besides, with some good bait, they will fall right into my trap." He grinned. 

= = = = = 

Location: Fruit Land Park, Florida… 

Amy Rose took another look outside the window, and to her surprise, it was sunny. "Hey, everyone, the rain stopped!" She said happily. "Now we can enjoy the day."

"Indeed," Shadow smirked; pointing at Sonic, who had his mouth taped closed. 

"There, that should do it," Knuckles said, and Sonic glared at the red echidna. 

"Where are we now, Tails?" Tikal asked. 

"Fruit Land Park," Tails answered with the map. "And according to this, we're very close to Walt Disney World. Since we're here and there's no rain, maybe we should have a look." 

"I agree," the driver Metal-2 nodded. "We had enough misses for one day." 

Tails gave Metal-2 the directions to get there safely. Sonic remained taped, so he could not speak. Knuckles and Shadow did not want the blue hedgehog to ask anything unwanted again. When they arrived near the theme park, it was very crowded. Metal-2 had to park the RV somewhere on the outside where there was room for it. After another long drive, the RV rested. 

"We have arrived," Metal-2 announced, standing up. "Tails, let's go." 

Tails nodded, standing also. "Okay, but what about Sonic? He always says go." 

Knuckles removed the tape. "Ouch!" Sonic yelped. "Let's go!" Then Knuckles taped it again.

Rouge opened the door and the others followed her outside. It was nice and sunny out. Sonic was very happy to be outside again, and he ran for the park like a wild hedgehog. 

"Hey, wait up!" Knuckles shouted, chasing him with Rouge following. 

"I can't run that fast," Tikal said, and then Metal-2 picked her and Amy up. 

"Hold on!" He said, and the girls did so as the android left the RV behind. 

Tails helped Freeway get inside his backpack, and then he flew after Sonic. Shadow made sure the RV was safe and locked before racing after the crew, and so they were on their way. They were unaware that Dr. Eggman, Metal Sonic and Chaos Zero arrived there first, and they were waiting for them. Just when the crew arrived, the park was having a parade. 

"Oh, everything is so colorful!" Freeway said, poking her head out from Tails' backpack. 

"Yeah, the parade is always colorful and musical," Tails explained. "It's pretty neat." 

"Hey, look, here comes Santa!" Knuckles pointed at a sled with two reindeer pulling it. 

Sonic looked over in the direction, and when he saw the two reindeer, he began to sweat. One looked very much like Metal Sonic, only with a pair of fake antlers on his head, and the other one looked like Chaos with antlers and a glowing red nose. Sonic tried to speak and tell the others, but the tape was too strong. He jumped up and down in front of Shadow, blocking his view of the parade, which annoyed the black hedgehog. Shadow made Sonic stop jumping with his hand. 

"If you're having another chilidog attack, you can forget it," Shadow said. 

"Mfffffmmmffff!" Sonic said through the tape, closing his eyes tightly. 

"They're over there," Shadow pointed toward the park's restrooms, but Sonic shook his head. 

"What's wrong with him?" Rouge asked, stepping closer to see. 

"Beats me." Shadow shrugged his shoulders. "He's always crazy like this." 

Rouge blinked her eyes. "Well, if he starts acting normal then look out." 

Amy took a picture, causing Sonic to blink at the flash, and then he rubbed his eyes. The sled turned toward them with Eggman cleverly disguised as Santa in the parade. Freeway giggled, watching. Metal-2 noticed the distress of Sonic, and with his hand, he removed the tape. 

"Ow, Ow, Ow!" Sonic yelped, and then he said, "Guys, there's something wrong!" 

Then suddenly, Eggman laughed as the sled showed its true form. People ran away, screaming when a robotic hand captured Tikal and lifted her into the air above the sled, which was in fact, Eggman's ship. The crew gasped with shock, and seeing their friend in danger, caused alarm. 

"Ho, ho, ho, I got one!" Eggman laughed in the Santa suit. "Now you have to give up, Sonic!" 

"HELP ME!" Tikal screamed, trying to kick free, but the hand held her tight. 

"Hold on, Tikal!" Metal-2 leaped into action toward her, but then Metal Sonic blocked his way. 

"One more move, and she'll be flatter than a pancake!" Eggman threatened.  

"Oh, boy! I love soggy pancakes," Chaos chuckled with his red nose still on his face. 

"Let her go!" Sonic demanded, trying to reach for a rescue plan also. 

Tails quickly thought of an idea. He removed his backpack, let Freeway out, and then he took out his laptop computer. He sent a message to Metal-2 instantly. "Android email," he whispered.  

Metal-2 received the message with Tails' idea to blast the robotic arm down to free Tikal. With little or no choice, Metal-2 aimed his blasters at Tikal. Eggman was stunned, and with careful aim, Metal-2 fired. It hit the arm, and yet Tikal was unharmed. She fell out, but then Metal Sonic caught her before Metal-2 could. Sonic was very worried when he saw Tikal being held. 

"You've gone too far," Metal said, holding her by one arm and her neck. "Surrender now!" 

Silent, Metal-2 saw Amy behind Metal Sonic, holding her hammer. He winked his eye, and after Amy did likewise, she slammed her hammer down on the enemy robot's head. His grip was weakened, and Tikal escaped to Sonic and the others. Metal-2 signaled for Amy to move away, and then he fired on Metal Sonic, sending him into the ship, and then the ship was sent away in smoke and out of sight. Sonic and the others glared at Chaos, surrounding him. Chaos trembled. 

"W-wait for me!" Chaos called in a panic, running after Eggman's crashing ship. 

"See ya, Rudolph!" Sonic laughed, and the crew joined him. "Is everyone all right?" 

Tikal nodded. "I'm fine, Sonic. Thank you all for saving me." She smiled. 

"That's what friends are for," Tails said, winking at Metal-2, and he winked back. 

"Hey, look!" Rouge pointed at the crowd of people that surrounded them. 

"What's all this?" Knuckles wondered. 

"My public…" Shadow grinned, making Sonic sigh. 

The owner of Walt Disney World found Sonic after hearing what happened. "Mister Hedgehog, thank you for saving not only this park, but its visitors. You and your friends shall be our guests of honor today, no charge." The man smiled, shaking the hedgehog's hand. "Welcome." 

"Oh, thanks!" Sonic said, smiling also, and the crew cheered. 

For the rest of the day, Sonic and his friends enjoyed a time of good weather in Walt Disney World, free of charge. The rides were thrilling, and dinner was excellent. It was just too bad Metal-2 could not eat, being an android, but he still enjoyed the day with his friends. When night fell down on the land again, Sonic and the others left to return for the RV, their home on the road.


	8. On Foot

**Chapter 8: On Foot **

It was very dark when the RV left, the clouds above blinded the stars and the moon had to strive to give some light. Headlights came in handy on the road for our adventuring RV. Everyone was tired, sleeping while still wearing their Mickey Mouse hats from Walt Disney World. They all looked funny in them, especially Metal-2. Sonic was the driver that night and Metal-2 guarded from the front passenger chair beside the blue hedgehog while the crew rested peacefully. Freeway was asleep beside Tails, covered with one of the fox's tails like a warm blanket on the sofa with Shadow half-asleep; keeping one eye on a window, and Knuckles was in a bed above the two front seats, believe it or not. Remember, in a RV, space can be precious. The girls slept quietly in the back room, which had the beds. It was silent on the street in front of them. 

"We got a long ride ahead of us," Sonic whispered with only Metal-2 awake to hear him. 

"True," he whispered back. "But if you need rest, I suggest we stop at a rest area for the night." 

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Sonic yawned, and Metal-2 helped him watch the road. 

They soon arrived at a place to rest called a rest stop where mostly truckers stopped to sleep. In this rest area, no other cars or trucks were seen; not even a RV was there until ours appeared. Sonic drove in carefully and quietly as the RV turned in the area near a picnic bench. The crew continued to sleep, hardly noticing the engine fall silent after hours of driving. Shadow blinked when he looked at the window, and then he closed them again, knowing it was a rest stop. Tails turned his head in his sleep, and Freeway quietly snored cutely under the fox's tail. In the back, the girls continued to dream, undisturbed. And Knuckles slept on, dreaming of his Emerald. 

"That was smooth," Sonic whispered when the RV was settled down. "Well, goodnight." 

Metal-2 nodded. "Goodnight, Sonic. Sleep well." 

Sonic lay back in the driver's chair sleepily, closed his green eyes and snuggled under a blanket. Metal-2 sat up, alert and watchful. He looked outside from the windshield, seeing no stars in the sky and hearing no sound. Soon they would reach Alabama, maybe in the morning. Our heroes traveled even in their dreams; not knowing that Dr. Eggman had the RV sighted. In his damaged Egg Hornet ship, the mad scientist waited for Chaos Zero to give a report with his binoculars. 

"It's too dark to tell. Is it the RV we're looking for or not?" Eggman asked quietly.  

"I don't know," Chaos answered, shrugging. "But have no boils, I will go and take a peek." 

Metal Sonic was too damaged to slap Chaos this time, but he did shoot a glare at the creature. 

"Very well," said Eggman. "Go and spy on that vehicle. See if it is indeed that blue hedgehog." 

Chaos nodded, dropped his binoculars on Metal's head, and he escaped possible death from the cold blue machine. Eggman kept Metal Sonic in the ship with him, leaving Chaos to go alone. Trying to be careful and silent, Chaos quietly made his way down the hill toward the rest area where the RV was parked. He suddenly tripped on a rock, and he fell all the way down to the bottom, crashing his head against a rock. When his head was clear of stars and birds, Chaos stood up and he looked around until he saw the RV. He rubbed his hands together and approached. Sonic and the others were sleeping with pleasant dreams, but Metal-2 sensed danger nearby. Silent, he looked at Sonic. He decided not to wake up the hedgehog, but to go outside instead to see if there was a threat to worry about or not. Metal-2 quietly opened the door of the passenger side, stepped out, and then closed the door without waking anyone up. He walked away from the RV, scanning the area. It was dark with a silver mist around the trees, silent with a gentle breeze in the wind. Chaos was traveling along in his puddle, and when he arose, he came face to face with Metal-2, who was a few feet away from him. Chaos was very surprised to see the strange, dark figure in front of him with surrounding mist because Metal-2 forgot to remove his hat. 

"Mighty Mouse!" Chaos shirked, and then almost like lightning, he fled in a puddle. 

Metal-2 blinked with confusion. He shrugged it off and scanned the rest area. When everything turned out to be safe and quiet, he returned to the RV. He was glad to see them safe there. Terrified, Chaos had a wild tale to tell when he returned. He ran into the ship, shaking it. 

"What?" Eggman asked, looking down at the dizzy creature. "Chaos! What happened?" 

Chaos sat up, holding his troubled head. "It was terrifying, absolutely terrifying!" 

"You finally saw your reflection, huh?" Metal Sonic made an evil robotic chuckle. 

"No, worse!" Chaos said, standing now. "It was the hugest mouse I ever saw!" 

"You mean the biggest," Eggman corrected him. "It could be some mutant on the loose..." 

"I know the Hulk is real, but not a mutant mouse!" Chaos panicked. "The comics told me!" 

With his last striking strength, Metal Sonic slapped Chaos on the head, knocking him out. Eggman sighed, looked down at his damaged computer screen. They will have to wait for light. 

= = = = = 

The next day… 

The sun arose early to start a new day, but it was hardly noticed because the dark clouds were still hanging on to that part of the sky. The mist vanished mysteriously with the wind that seemed to carry it away. The sweet morning air arrived with the songs of birds in the treetops above. The sound of one bird reminded Sonic of his alarm clock at home. Almost automatically, Sonic reached for his red shoe and he threw it, but the shoe did not hit an alarm clock. It hit Shadow. 

"GAH!" Shadow awoke with a shoe in his face. "What was that? Who dares to--?" Angry, he picked it up, and when he saw that it belonged to Sonic, he threw it back at him. 

"Ouch!" Sonic yelped, awakening from a dream in an instant. He picked up what hit him, and it was his shoe. Confused, he looked at Shadow. He saw the angry face. "What's the idea?" 

"You answer that, sleep disturber!" Shadow said, "And keep that stinking shoe away!" 

"It is NOT stinky," Sonic assured him, taking a sniff. "See?" He grinned. 

"That's just because it's of your own kind." Shadow chuckled, pouring coffee for himself. 

"My kind? I'm a hedgehog!" Sonic stood proudly. "And you're a hedgehog, too." 

"Not just a hedgehog…" Shadow winked. "I am the Ultimate!" He laughed. 

Sonic rolled his eyes, thinking otherwise. Just then the door opened and the girls returned from brushing their teeth. Knuckles and Tails also returned in time for a quick breakfast. 

"We better get going now," Sonic said after breakfast. "Is everyone ready to hit the road?" 

"YEAH!" The crew shouted the answer with excitement.   

Before Shadow could, Sonic jumped into the driver's seat, leaving him the passenger side. Using the CD player, Sonic selected his theme song before moving. "Okay, we're off! Hang on!" 

Everyone sat down, ready to go. Shadow was buckled and reminded Sonic of the low tree branches there. Careful to avoid them, Sonic made it out on the road again. High on the hill, Chaos saw the RV leaving the rest stop. He used his binoculars to see the moving vehicle. 

"Hey, look, they're leaving now, and the driver looks like a giant blue rat…" 

Surprised, Eggman took the binoculars away. "Give me those!" He looked in from one side, and Metal Sonic peeked in from the other side of them. "…IT'S THEM!" They said together.   

They watched the RV turn out of the rest stop and drive on the road, departing. 

"They won't get away this time!" Eggman tossed the binoculars away and Chaos caught them. "My Egg Hornet will surely outrun them and they'll reach the end of their road!" 

He laughed as the Egg Hornet began to move, but because of the damage back in Walt Disney World, it dropped down to the ground, unable to move. Furious, Eggman growled, hitting the controls. Metal Sonic sat back, resting in the ship. He was too damaged to fly at the moment, and in a way, he was glad. Chaos shrugged, and then he turned, watching the RV vanish from sight. 

= = = = = 

Location: Alabama State Line…

It was either a bad sign or just bad luck when the RV entered the state of Alabama. It was a rather peaceful place, but the sudden storm changed that. The wind blew like a furious breath, and the trees shook with leaves falling. Sonic stopped the RV at a stop sign, watching the weather. 

"What's going on here?" He asked, "It seemed fine back there, but why the sudden haywire?" 

"I don't know, but just don't ask that cursed question again," Knuckles said. 

"Or else…" Shadow added, holding the tape, which made Sonic sweat. 

Suddenly, another burst of strong wind blew against the RV, causing it to shake. Amy and Tikal screamed when dishes fell to the floor with a crash. A pot landed on Freeway's head for a hat. Metal-2 chuckled and then he gently lifted the pot from the fawn's head. She was unharmed. 

"Sonic!" Tails called, approaching the front seats. "Alabama is under a tornado watch!" 

"I've got a tornado watch," Knuckles showed it on his wrist, and Rouge slapped it. "Ouch!" 

"That sounds dangerous," Sonic said after Tails told him the news. "We're IN Alabama!"  

"Things can't get any worse." Rouge sighed, and just then, hail fell down from the sky. 

"Whoa! Ice attack!" Knuckles shouted, pointing at the windshield. 

"We better find some shelter, quick!" Sonic drove the RV onward. 

"Any tornadoes yet, Tails?" Amy asked, sitting beside the fox with the radio. 

"No, it's just a tornado watch, so none have touched the ground," he answered. 

They were not in a city yet, but on a country road, so shelter would not be easy to find. Sonic drove carefully on the wet road. Shadow kept chewing on bubble gum because he was nervous, and Tails listened to the weather news on his radio while Tikal tried to keep things from falling everywhere in the RV. Amy held Freeway, Rouge watched the window with Metal-2, and Knuckles wondered if he should prepare swimming gear or not. With no warning, a large tree fell onto the road in front of them. Sonic gasped and he hit the breaks to stop. The RV slowed down and came to a stop in front of the tree, but its nose slightly slammed into it. 

"Is everyone okay?" Sonic asked, quickly turning to see the others. 

"Yeah, I think so," Knuckles replied, on his head. He sat up normally. "What happened?" 

"A tree," Shadow answered, pointing ahead. 

Tails sat up and shook his head, and then he picked up his radio, which broke in the crash. He sighed and then he felt the wind grow much stronger outside. The RV was stuck in the tree, even though Sonic tried to back it up and turn. Shadow blew a bubble with his gum, and then it popped in his face when a real tornado came down on the ground, not far from the RV on the road. 

"A tornado!" Tails shouted, jumping to his feet. 

"Oh, great," Tikal sighed. "And I just rearranged the dishes for the third time!" 

"Come on, guys, we gotta go!" Sonic warned, unbuckling. "Quick, outside!" 

"What?! Out there?" Knuckles asked, surprised and quite shocked at the twister. 

"You heard him," said Metal-2, lifting the echidna up. "Outside!" 

Rouge opened the door with Tikal helping push against the strong wind, and then Tails jumped out with Amy carrying Freeway and then Knuckles stepped out. Metal-2 turned back for Sonic who was leading the blind Shadow to the door. They all made it outside, and after Shadow ate his bubble gum again, his eyes widened at the tornado. It was dangerously coming toward them. 

"Hurry, this way!" Sonic shouted through the wind, and he ran for low ground. 

Knuckles helped Tikal and Amy get through the wind to reach Sonic, and Rouge followed. Sonic stopped on the side of a road where there was low ground, and he waited for the others. 

"Get down!" Knuckles shouted, shoving Amy and Tikal down with Freeway. "You, too, Rouge!" 

The bat blinked her eyes, astonished. "Me? Rouge the Bat dive in the dirt?" she asked, and after a strong wind blew behind her, she nodded. "Good idea!" She jumped in with Amy and Tikal. 

"Get down, Knuckles!" Sonic shouted, pushing him, and then he looked behind. "Tails?!" 

"I'm coming!" Tails answered, pushing himself to run faster, but he could hardly do so. Then before he knew what hit him, Tails was blown away into the air, off the road. "HELP!" 

"NO!" Sonic yelled, "TAILS!!" He tried to reach out for him, but he was gone. 

Metal-2 flew up after the fox to find him, and Sonic lost sight of them both in the storm. 

"Sonic, get down!" Knuckles pulled him back, but Sonic tried to get to Tails. "Sonic, stop!" 

"TAILS!" Sonic called again, but Knuckles pulled him down all the way to the low ground. 

Together they ducked down low; covering their heads and holding on to stay safe. They kept their eyes closed, hearing the loud noises of the storm and the wind continued to blow harshly. They heard more trees fall, thunder and the roaring of the tornado. Then as sudden as it came, it left. The storm came to an end and died. After a moment of silence, Sonic blinked his eyes. He sat up, shaking some leaves and dirt off, and then he looked around for his friends. 

"Guys?" he asked, looking, but he saw no one. "Guys, come out! The storm's over, it's gone!" 

Just then, Knuckles popped out from another pile of dirt. "Well, thank goodness!" 

Rouge came out next. "Yuck! I feel like a pig!" She made a sour face at her dirty clothes. 

"At least we're alive!" Amy said, climbing out with Freeway, who was still shaking. 

"Yeah," Tikal sighed weakly, and when she stood up, she screamed. 

"WHAT?" The crew asked, and Tikal was speechless when she pointed at the road. 

One by one, the others stood up, and when they saw the road, they were quite shocked. 

"The RV!" Sonic gasped. "It's…it's…" he stopped, and Knuckles sadly nodded. 

"It's gone?!" Shadow asked after he jumped out from a pile of dirt and leaves. 

"It just disappeared!" Amy exclaimed, staring at the damaged, empty road. 

"What now?" said Knuckles, "Without the RV, we're not on the road; we're on foot!" 

"Don't change the title!" Rouge said, brushing the dirt off herself. 

"I'm more worried about Tails and Metal-2. They disappeared, too." Sonic sighed. 

"We'll find them," Tikal said with hope. 

Shadow swallowed his bubble gum. "Well, for now, I will lead us out of here."

"How can you?" Knuckles asked. "We don't even have a map of this crazy place!" 

"Just follow the road," Shadow said calmly, pointing. 

"But what about Tails and Metal-2?" Amy asked, very worried. 

"Don't worry," Shadow assured one and all. "If they're alive, they're in the next town." 

"What do you mean 'IF'?" Sonic asked, glaring at the black hedgehog. 

"Calm down, Sonic," Tikal said gently. "We better hurry and find them before dark." 

Sonic sighed, shrugging off his anger. "You're right," he said, leaving. "Come on, let's go." 

Knuckles and Tikal followed after Sonic, Rouge and Amy also followed with Freeway, but Shadow stood still. He looked around. It was quiet now after the storm. Sonic looked back. 

"Come on, Shadow," he called, and then the black hedgehog followed. 

Now on foot with no transportation, Sonic and the crew moved on without giving up. First they had to find their two missing friends, and then locate the RV, wherever it may be.


	9. Alabama Search

****

Chapter 9: Alabama Search 

After the storm left, the walking crew of Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends traveled down the path that they hardy knew, still finding it hard to believe that their RV was gone. Walking was something Sonic could hardy stand for long, but he had to remember the others behind him. They were still in Alabama, and their first mission was to find Tails and Metal-2 who disappeared in the storm. The others followed Sonic, the determined hedgehog who would never give up. 

"But I miss my CD player," Sonic sighed, walking up another hill on the country road. 

"I don't miss it at all," Shadow said, keeping his voice to himself. "But my coffee machine…" 

"Any sign of them yet, Sonic?" Knuckles asked, coming to the blue hedgehog's side. 

Sonic shook his head. "Nope, and I don't see any road signs, either." 

Amy Rose, Rouge, and Tikal, who was carrying Freeway, came up the hill also. 

"Boys, can't we take a break?" Amy asked, growing weaker after every step. 

"We've been searching for hours!" Rouge said, "I can find treasure much faster." 

"Maybe we should pretend they're treasure," Freeway suggested. 

"We better keep moving," Sonic said to them. "I know you're tired, but keep going." 

Tikal nodded. "Of course." She turned to Shadow. "You think we'll find them?" she asked. 

Shadow shrugged his shoulders, silent, and then he continued to walk again. Knuckles kept his eyes open, looking around, and Sonic was glad to see the clouds starting to move away. Maybe when sunlight arrives, they will be able to find their missing friends. So far, no trucks or cars had been seen on the road they were walking on. If one did pass by, help was possible. Walking and following the path and leaping over puddles, Sonic and the others with him kept going. Everything seemed quiet on that road, but then they heard a sound. Sonic stopped and Knuckles did not see this, so he bumped into him, and then Shadow bumped into him. 

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Knuckles asked, shaking a clenched fist. 

"A knuckles sandwich?" Shadow asked because the echidna was between the two hedgehogs. 

Knuckles glared, turning an eye to the black one, but Sonic stopped them. "Wait! Listen…"

Everyone stopped and listened, and it was the sound of an engine. 

"Oh, we're saved!" Tikal cheered before she even saw what it was. 

Freeway poked her head out from the girl echidna's backpack. "What's that?" she asked. 

Sonic looked in the direction, standing upright. He could hardly see what the moving object was with the sunlight shining in his eyes as it began to escape through what was left of the storm clouds in the sky. It came closer and closer until the crew saw to their surprise, a red RV. It passed them, driving on the road nice and easy. It was unexpected, but at least it was not a threat. 

"Hey, Sonic, did you see what just passed us?" Knuckles asked, still watching it. 

Sonic only nodded, and then he saw the RV slow down to a stop. It drove backward until it came back to Sonic and his crew, who were standing on the side of the road, safely out of its way. Still unsure, Sonic kept the others behind him, listening and watching. He heard footsteps inside the RV, and then a door opened, revealing someone Sonic could never have guessed. It was a little man, dressed in blue overalls, red shirt, and a red cap. He had blue eyes and a big smile. 

"It's-a-me, Mario!" he said, stepping out to the astonished Sonic crew. 

"You again?!" Sonic asked, surprised. "You're the guy who owns that Italian restaurant!" 

"Yeah, we saw him on all our crazy road trips, so far," Knuckles added. 

"Hello!" Mario greeted them happily. "I see you are, let's say, stuck. Am I a-right, hmm?" 

Sonic nodded to answer. "Yeah, and we have to find our two missing friends…"

"And our RV, too," Amy added. "We lost it in the storm not too long ago." 

"What a pity, such a shame," Mario sighed. "But come, and we'll take you into town." 

"That's very kind of you," said Tikal, and Freeway shyly nodded. 

"No, I'm not leaving without Tails," Sonic refused. "He could still be out here, somewhere." 

"I believe you'll find what you're looking for if you step inside." Mario opened the door. 

"What?" Sonic asked, and without waiting for an answer, he stepped inside. 

To his great surprise, Sonic saw not only Metal-2, but also Tails at a small table, sitting down and they were unharmed. The Princess Peach served Tails hot chocolate and blueberry muffins to enjoy. Not knowing if he should laugh or cry, Sonic hugged Tails tightly with relief and gladness. 

"Tails, you're alive, you're safe!" he said, looking the fox over. "You okay, buddy?" 

Tails smiled. "Sure, I'm fine," he said. "Metal-2 found me, and then they found us." 

Then the others came inside, happy to see Tails and Metal-2 again. 

"Tails!" Knuckles shouted when he saw the young fox. "We were worried to death over you, thinking that twister ate you, and all along, you were being served like a king!" 

The others laughed, and then Amy hugged Metal-2, happily. "Metal-2, you're all right!" 

"Of course, and can't get any better," Metal-2 said, returning the hug. 

"Looks like I'll need to bake more muffins," said Peach, walking back to the kitchen. 

In the driver seat, Luigi looked behind at the new passengers. "Ah, welcome, you all!" 

"Oh, look, he's here, too," Sonic said, recognizing Mario's brother. 

"Time to move along now…" Mario closed the door. "The next town is not far away." 

"Yes, so in the meantime, make yourselves at home here," Peach said. 

"Thanks, you guys." Sonic smiled, and then he joined Tails at the table. 

"I could have gone there on foot, you know," Shadow said. "And alone, too." 

The RV began to move, and Sonic chuckled. "I bet you could." 

"When we get into town we can start a search for the RV," said Tikal. 

"Decorate it with jewels, and I'll find it in five minutes." Rouge smiled. 

Knuckles shook his head. "Brilliant, Rouge, but we still gotta find it first." 

"And we will," Sonic promised them. 

Metal-2 looked at Mario, curious. "So, what brings you on the road?" 

Mario sat down and explained. "We're on vacation, leaving our beautiful restaurant for a little while. I could not find a better way to do it than driving in one of these because my brother and I always encountered you in one before. And besides, it's a great day for golf!" 

"Golf?" The Sonic crew asked him together. 

Mario nodded. "Correct," he said. "Alabama is a nice state when you get to know it." 

"I guess I'll give it another chance," Knuckles said quietly.

Tikal giggled. "Knuckles, the storm was not Alabama's fault." 

"And it wasn't mine either," Sonic reminded them. "I didn't ask that question." 

"Question?" Luigi asked him, still driving. "What question?" 

"What could possibly--?" Before Sonic could ask it, Knuckles covered his mouth. 

Confused, Mario blinked, and then there was a sound heard outside, and the RV they were in began to shake until Luigi stopped driving. He scratched his head, looking out a window. 

"What happened?" Peach asked him, walking to the front seat. 

Luigi turned to the others, unbuckling. "Looks like we got a flat tire." 

"Oh, really? Is that a fact?" Mario asked, and Luigi nodded. 

"Oh no! We're too late!" Knuckles gasped. "I told you, Sonic, but you never listen!" 

"Yeah, and for that, you're changing the tire," Shadow scolded. 

Sonic moaned, closing his eyes, but Tails comforted him. "Don't worry, Sonic. I'll help."

"I will also," Metal-2 offered, and then Sonic cheered up with a smile. 

= = = = = 

Later that day… 

After changing the flat tire, Sonic and the crew traveled with Mario into a town in Alabama. The red RV stopped to rest, and everyone stepped outside into the warm sunshine. It was a calm day, so maybe that would give Sonic a better chance of finding the lost RV. 

"No time to lose, guys," Sonic said to his crew. "Let's have a look around and ask if anyone has seen a white RV with blue stripes." He scratched his head. "And its name is Cross Country." 

"I was hoping we would go looking for the USS Enterprise," Shadow joked. 

"If we live long enough, maybe it'll find us," Knuckles said. 

Sonic cleared his throat, catching the crew's attention. "Okay, we'll go in teams. Shadow, you're with Rouge, Tikal and Amy, you stay together with Freeway, Knuckles, you're with Metal-2, and Tails comes with me. We'll split up and meet here in one hour. If anyone has any news, give it."

"Okay!" The crew answered, but Shadow only nodded, silent. 

The others all went separate ways, searching. Sonic turned back to Mario and Luigi. 

"Thanks again for the ride," Sonic said, smiling and shaking the man's hand. 

"No problem at all," Mario said. "You're welcome, and I hope you find your RV." 

Sonic nodded, and then he left with Tails following him. With so many streets and people, Sonic hardly knew where to begin, but there had to be a clue somewhere nearby. He kept looking. 

"If only I had my laptop, we would know the streets better," Tails said, following Sonic. 

Sonic agreed. "Yeah, this is a strange place, but it's a start. We'll find something." 

Meanwhile, Amy and Tikal were in the middle of a crowd with busy folks. 

"Excuse me," Amy said, trying to speak to the people, but they walked passed her. 

"Please, could you help us?" Tikal asked, but the people were in a hurry, shopping and working. 

"This isn't working very well," Amy said to herself, and Freeway sighed, tired. 

And over on another part of town, Knuckles and Metal-2 reached a car sale. Many people gathered to see cars and trucks at a low price. Knuckles thought it was a place to ask. 

"Has anyone seen a white RV, long with blue stripes and answers to Cross Country?" 

One of the car salesmen looked down at the red echidna. "We don't sell RVs," he said. 

"No, I'm not here to buy," said Knuckles. "I asked if you have seen any." 

"If you're not here to buy, then get lost!" the man pointed. "We don't want any trouble." 

"That still doesn't answer his question," Metal-2 said, crossing his arms. 

The man shrugged angrily. "No," he replied. "No, I haven't seen any RVs today." 

Knuckles sighed, disappointed. "Thanks anyway. Come on, Metal-2." And they left. 

If we travel the other way, we find Shadow and Rouge looking for clues. The black hedgehog walked on a sidewalk, looking at posters of lost and found items as he passed windows of buildings. He saw no found RVs, or anything that had to do with them. He stopped at the end of the sidewalk, looking left and right to cross, and then he looked to see Rouge, but she was gone. 

"Huh?" He turned around, looking for her. 

He walked calmly until he came to the white bat that was not hurt or lost, but she was looking in a jewelry store window, gazing at gems. Shadow stopped next to her, crossing his arms. 

"Rouge, come on, this is no time for window shopping," he said. "We have to find the RV." 

"They're so pretty," Rouge said, still looking in the window. 

Shadow growled. "How did I ever get stuck working with you?"

"That's a long story," Rouge answered, keeping her eyes on the jewels. 

"That's not what I meant, and quit making me talk so much. You know I'm a quiet type." 

"Your tongue, not mine," Rouge teased, chuckling. 

Just then, inside the jewelry store, a man placed a new item for window shoppers to see. This gem caught Rouge's eye instantly. It was a shining green emerald, and it was familiar. 

"Oh, look, a Chaos Emerald!" Rouge said, pointing excitedly at it. Silent, Shadow just looked.

Then a voice laughed behind them. "That's music to my ears!" It was Dr. Eggman, of course.

Shadow quickly pushed Rouge down to the sidewalk when Eggman suddenly fired at the window, breaking the glass, and it shattered on Shadow, who was shielding Rouge. Metal Sonic was quicker than the eye when he snatched the jewel. Then he returned to the Egg Hornet. 

"Eggman!" Shadow shouted when he saw the mad scientist. 

"Hey, we found that emerald first!" Rouge said, standing up with Shadow. 

"You're too late this time," said Eggman in his ship. "Now I demand you surrender!" 

Shadow grinned. "You forgot to say please, Mister Eggnog." 

Eggman growled angrily. "Metal, make things clear for that black hedgehog!" 

"Acknowledged," said Metal Sonic, and he landed on the sidewalk, glaring. 

"Bring it on, tin faker!" Shadow challenged, and Rouge had to jump away to safety before Metal Sonic rushed to the hedgehog. They fought their way into the jewelry store. 

The cashier inside ran out in a panic, and then Rouge hurried inside. "Shadow!" she called. 

Before she could reach him, Chaos Zero appeared in front of her. "Halt!" 

Rouge gasped and stopped, surprised. "What do you want?" she asked him. 

"What do I want?" Chaos repeated. "Well, um…I…uh…I…" he stopped, confused. 

"Oh, come on now, you must have come in here looking for something." 

"Yeah!" Chaos said, nodding. "That's it! I'm looking for something. But what?" 

Rouge waited a moment, hearing him mumbling things to himself, trying to remember. "Let me know when you find out." Then she left him, running to Shadow and Metal Sonic. 

Shadow was thrown toward a glass table, but he leaped another way to avoid getting cut. Rouge kicked Metal Sonic from behind, sending him into the table, shattering it. Shadow attacked the enemy robot again, and then Rouge had to face Chaos again. He blocked her way to Shadow.

"Now I know!" Chaos said, pointing. "I was looking for you!" 

"Oh, really?" Rouge asked, secretly feeling for something behind her. 

"Really," Chaos assured the bat. "No doubt about it. Now give up nicely and--" 

Chaos stopped when Rouge lifted a terrifying thing in front of him. It was a mirror. Screaming, Chaos turned and fled the building, never looking back. Metal Sonic was sent outside, flying after Shadow used a spin dash attack on him. Then Shadow stepped outside, glaring up at the ship. 

Eggman began to sweat. "You win this round," he said, escaping before the police would arrive. Chaos was long gone, and Metal Sonic followed the Egg Hornet ship. They were gone. 

The cashier peeked from behind a trashcan to see Shadow and Rouge. "You saved me!" 

"Yeah, yeah," Shadow said, tossing a gold coin to the man. "For the mess." Then he left. 

The man looked at the coin, amazed to see that it was real. "Wow," he whispered. 

"Wait up!" Rouge called, running to catch up with Shadow. 

"This isn't good at all," said Shadow, leaving. "He's got a Chaos Emerald, and for free!" 

"We'll get it back," Rouge said, crossing a street with him. "We have to find the others." 

They hurried to the meeting place, and Sonic was waiting for them with the crew. 

"I hope you have some good news," Sonic said to them. "The others found nothing." 

"We didn't find or see it, but we saw Eggman," Shadow told him.

"And he took my Chaos Emerald!" Rouge said sadly. 

"What?" Sonic asked, very surprised at the news. "Eggman is here? Where?" 

"He's gone now," Rouge answered. "He was at the jewelry store with Metal and Chaos." 

"This is going to be harder than I thought," Sonic said, sighing. 

"It always turns out that way these days," said Knuckles. 

Suddenly, something white, small and round landed near Sonic on the ground. Curious, Sonic looked down. "It's a golf ball," he said, realizing that they were very close to a golf course. 

"You found it! You found it!" Mario shouted, running down a hill with Luigi following. 

"What a nice shot!" Luigi praised his brother when they came to the ball. "Special wonderful!" 

Mario nodded proudly. "Thank you," he said. "And now, I would like you to try. Here you go." He offered his golf club to Sonic. Trying to smile, Sonic took it. 

"Thanks, but I think Metal-2 should try," Sonic said, passing it. "He's a great shot." 

"I am?" Metal-2 asked, blinking while holding it. 

"Splendid!" Mario said, stepping aside and away from the ball with Luigi and Peach. 

"Go ahead, Metal-2. Hit it to the moon!" Amy cheered for him, clapping her hands. 

"Very well." Metal-2 stood near the ball, aimed, and then he swung the club, hitting it. 

The ball flew high up into the air, vanishing into the blue sky, amazing the viewers below. It flew until it hit an astronaut's helmet while he worked on a satellite. He never knew what hit him. 

The astronaut looked around, confused. "Houston, we have a problem…" 

Back on the ground, Sonic turned and looked at Amy. "Be careful what you say around him."

After playing a little golf, Sonic and the others left, still determined to find the lost RV.


	10. No Service

**Chapter 10: No Service  **

So they walked, and walked, walked together on the road of Alabama, not quite knowing where they were going. So far, they saw no sign at all of the RV, and Sonic the Hedgehog was becoming worried, but he hid this fact. He could not surrender in front of his crew. They left town and walked along a road and they saw the damage that the tornado left behind after the storm they had encountered. That was when the RV vanished. The others were tired, and Metal-2 could only carry so many at a time. He was already holding Amy Rose and Tikal, who held Freeway. Soon they came to a road sign, one that Sonic hoped to see at the wheel, not on foot, but they came to a state line. One step and they would enter the one and only Mississippi. 

"That's it!" Sonic said to his tired crew when he saw the sign. "The RV is in another state!" 

"Or maybe another planet by now!" said Tails, tired. 

"We never went far in Alabama, and maybe that was a good thing," Knuckles said. "Maybe it came here somehow. We should stop and ask. There must be a clue here." He nodded.

"Where are we now?" Rouge asked. 

"Between Alabama and Mississippi," Shadow replied. "Hey, we can be in two places at once." 

"Let's go check it out," Sonic said. "Look, I think I see a gas station up ahead." He pointed. 

"Then let's get the show on the road!" Metal-2 went ahead of them, leaving for Mississippi.

Sonic laughed. "Hey, you guys, wait up!" He called, running after Metal-2. 

"Here we go again!" Tails said, flying over Sonic with Shadow and Rouge following. 

Then Knuckles was alone in Alabama. He looked at the sign again, thinking. He took one step, touching Mississippi ground. "Hmm…feels the same to me. Gravel and dirt roads hurt." 

"Come on, Knuckles!" Rouge called, and then the red echidna ran for it, entering the state. 

With Alabama now behind them, Sonic and his friends came into Mississippi with new hope. It was a calm, cloudy day in our traveling weather watch. Sonic thought it was best to stop at the nearest gas station. He followed the road to get there with his friends following. Sonic saw the Mississippi flag waving gently in the wind, greeting them. He waved back at it, and then he joined Metal-2, Amy, Tikal, and Freeway at the gas station. Tails, Shadow, Rouge, and Knuckles were right behind the blue hedgehog, and so they came to a stop in front of the building. 

"Well, we're all here," Sonic said. "Now we can find out what happened to the RV." 

"I sure hope so," said Amy. 

"Let's go in and see what we can find." Tikal said, walking to the gas station. 

Sonic ran ahead of the others, reaching the door before anyone else did. Rouge came to the door, looking up at the posters and newspaper ads on the wall nearby. Knuckles opened the door.

"Hold it!" Rouge stopped him, and then Knuckles closed it, confused. 

"Huh? What is it, Rouge?" Knuckles asked her. 

"You can't go in there," Rouge told him. 

Knuckles blinked his eyes. "Why not?"

"Look…" The bat pointed to a sign, and she read it. "No shoes, no shirt, no service." 

"What? No service?" Sonic repeated. "What kind of a place is this?" he asked. 

"It's the mighty Mississippi," Shadow answered. 

Sonic sighed. "I know that, but why is this? We have shoes, but no shirts." 

"Then no service," Tails said, reading the sign again. "Rules are rules." 

"Looks like it's up to the girls this time," Knuckles said. 

"We can do it," Amy said, smiling. "You boys just wait out here. We'll be right back."

"We'll find a map, too." Tikal promised. 

Sonic had to agree this time. He nodded, letting them go. "Okay, girls, go on in." 

Amy opened the door, and Rouge entered with Tikal following. Metal-2 held the baby Freeway, waiting with the others and he watched Amy go inside. The door closed after her. 

Shadow crossed his arms. "There's only one problem with them going in alone." 

Sonic turned to him, curious. "Oh? What's that, Shadow?" he asked. 

Shadow held his head, terrified. "They'll shop!!"

Then Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles gasped with fear. What a dread it was for them. 

= = = = = 

Meanwhile… 

When the girls of the Sonic team entered the gas station, they found it to be more than a stop and go type place. The gas station had a deli, café, and a place to shop for souvenirs all in one building. Amy blinked, surprised at the size, and Tikal stood quietly, looking around. 

"Wow, this place is huge!" Rouge exclaimed, walking ahead of the others. 

"And it's so clean," Tikal added. 

Amy nodded. "No wonder they don't allow boys in here." She giggled. 

"Only those with no shirts," Rouge corrected her. "Hey, let's take a look around." 

"You sure? What about the boys?" Tikal asked. 

"Oh, they'll be fine," Rouge answered. "We won't be too long." 

Then the three girls chuckled, walking inside. They did not know that someone was watching them. Inside a large painted clay pot for sale, Metal Sonic peeked out with the lid still on his head. Chaos Zero was in the clay pot beside him. The water creature peeked out also. 

"Oh, boy," Chaos whispered, watching the girls walk away. "We found them at last."

"Affirmative," Metal whispered. He removed the lid off his head. "Now to attack…" 

"Attack them?" Chaos asked, pointing to the girls. 

Metal climbed out, careful not to be seen. "Yes, them. They are the targets." 

"But they're ladies," Chaos said, still in the pot. "Remember to be a gentlemen." 

"That's impossible, you numbskull, because I am a robot."

"And it's impossible for me to have a skull," Chaos added, chuckling. 

"Stop gargling and get outta there so we can get this over with." 

"Okay, okay, hold your hard drive, I'm coming…" Chaos climbed out, but he clumsily stumbled out, almost crashing into a shelf of glass cups nearby, but Metal caught him to prevent it.  

"Don't break anything," he said, and then he added, "…Not yet." 

"But what now?" Chaos asked in a whisper. "Where'd they go?" 

"That way," Metal pointed toward the café. He let go of Chaos and left. 

"Hey, Metal, wait!" Chaos called in a panic, running after the blue robot. 

The two stalkers soon found them at the small café, drinking hot chocolate at a table while looking at the list of supplies they needed from the gas station. 

"I got a plan," Metal said, hiding behind a wall with Chaos. "You sneak up underneath their table and ambush them, and I'll take them down easily." 

Chaos nodded as if he understood, but then he shrugged. "I can't do that, Metal." 

"What? Why not?" he asked. 

"Because I don't have a bush. How do you expect me to ambush them?" 

Metal slapped his own forehead. "No, you just surprise attack them, you fool." 

"Ooh, okay," Chaos said. "I'll be so scary, they'll forget their own names." 

Metal glared. "Just get going before I make you forget you're alive." 

Chaos dodged a slap, quickly sinking into a puddle, and then he secretly entered the café. Silent and swift, Chaos came underneath a table and then he suddenly jumped on top of it, spreading his arms to attack his unsuspected prey. But sadly, he found the table he was on empty. Chaos blinked, confused, and then he turned around. He saw the girls at a table on the other side.

"Wrong table, you lamebrain," Metal whispered, looking away with shame. 

"Whoops," Chaos whispered to himself. "I'll try again." And he went his way. 

At the table, the girls finished looking at the list. "…And that's it," said Rouge. 

"Well, I guess first we'll ask if anyone has seen the RV, then find a helpful map," Amy said.

Tikal nodded, agreeing. "Yes, and I hope we find it soon. My sandals will be ruined." 

"Looks like they're pretty torn up already, Tikal." Amy pointed down at them. 

"Yeah," Rouge agreed when she saw the damaged sandals. "We better find a pair here." 

"You think they have any?" Tikal asked. 

"Let's go find out." Rouge stood up and Amy followed her, finished with her drink.  

"All right, wait for me," Tikal said, standing up. 

The three left the table, and just then, Chaos appeared on the café table. 

"Ooh, am I scary or what?" He asked, opening his eyes to find the table empty. 

Metal hovered next to him, arms crossed. "You sink, they got away!" 

"Hmm…" Chaos wondered. "Maybe they're just shy around me, you think?" 

Angry, Metal hit Chaos on the head with an empty coffee mug. "After them!" 

Chaos rubbed his head, and then his eyes widened. "Caffeine!" And then he ran. 

"The other way!" Metal kicked Chaos back in the right direction where the girls left. 

At the other end of the store, the girls found a shelf, which had shoes. Most of them were things like boots, but they soon found a few pairs of sandals. Tikal sat down to try them on. 

"Here, try these first." Amy gave Tikal a pink pair of sandals, but they were too big. 

"Um…they're too big for sure," said Tikal, and when she lifted a foot, a sandal fell off. 

"How about these?" Rouge gave her a black pair to try, and Tikal put them on to see. 

Tikal stood up to feel them. "Well, I don't know…" she said, taking few steps. 

"Too big? Too tight?" Amy asked her, "What is it?" 

"Too tight for me," Tikal answered after testing them. 

Then Amy opened another box. "Try these on next." She gave a white pair of sandals. 

"Okay, I'll try." Tikal put them on, stood up and took a few steps. 

"What do you think?" Rouge asked the echidna. 

Tikal stopped and turned to them, smiling. "Perfect!" she said happily. 

"At last," Amy sighed with relief. "Now what could--"

Amy was interrupted when someone crashed into the shelf of shoes. The shoes fell off, burying the stranger. Amy and the other girls blinked, turning to see the pile of fallen shoes.  

"What was that?" Amy asked, and her answer came out of the shoe pile. 

Chaos Zero climbed out, wearing cowboy boots, and Metal had tennis shoes with a high heel shoe on his ear because of the crash landing. They glared at the stunned girls who were surprised. 

"Metal and Chaos!" They said together, gasping. 

"Then that means Eggman is here, too!" Rouge realized. 

Metal nodded. "Correct, and he's giving your friends quite a fright out there." 

"Oh no! Sonic!" Amy screamed. 

"What should we do?" Tikal asked the others, afraid. 

"Give up!" Metal demanded, throwing the high heel shoe off his ear. 

"No!" Rouge said, "You just wait till the manager finds out you trouble makers are here!" 

"He found out too late, bat girl," Metal said. "We've already taken over this gas station!" 

"What gave you that idea?" Amy asked. 

Chaos proudly pulled out a yellow book, and he answered, "Out of this book." 

Rouge read the title. "Takeover For Dummies…?" she blinked. 

Metal had a sweat drop on his head, and he slapped the book away. "Nonsense!"   

Rouge backed away, keeping the other girls behind her. "Run! Get outta here!" 

Tikal screamed when Metal attacked Rouge, and Amy ran, taking the echidna's hand. Amy turned for the exit, but Chaos Zero blocked their path after kicking the cowboy boots off his feet. 

"Ladies and…ladies," Chaos said. "Step right up and make it easy on yourselves." 

"Move out of our way!" Amy yelled, hitting the creature on the head with her hammer. 

Chaos fell over, very dizzy. "Oh, that'll leave a mark…" 

"Come on!" Amy held Tikal's hand, and they ran again. 

They had to stop when Metal suddenly fired at the exit, and so the wall fell down, blocking the doorway to freedom. Rouge kicked Metal down, keeping him away from Amy and Tikal. 

"We're trapped!" Tikal cried, closing her eyes with fear, trembling. 

Then Chaos returned, this time with a large cooking pot on his head for protection. "Aha!" 

"So, you came back for more, huh?" Amy raised her hammer, made a hit, and the pot caused both Amy and Chaos to vibrate and fall. Tikal covered her ears at the sound it made. 

While Chaos mumbled the Jingle Bell song, Tikal helped Amy get away. 

"Hurry!" Tikal said, helping the pink hedgehog back on her feet. 

Rouge and Metal Sonic were still fighting in the gas station. The white bat was wounded, and she backed away from the cold blue robot into the deli. Amy and Tikal saw Rouge in danger, and so they hurried to help, leaving Chaos to sing to himself. Rouge stopped when she was cornered. 

"Now…" Metal said, approaching her. He raised his clawed hand to hit her, but then something hit him on the head. Metal turned and he saw Tikal using a subway sandwich as a weapon. 

"Leave her alone!" Tikal said, hitting him again with the sandwich. 

"Nice try, echidna," Metal said, gripping her arm tightly. "But it'll take more than onions." 

"Hey, you!" Amy shouted from behind the machine, and she quickly slammed her hammer down on him, freeing Tikal. Amy hit him again, but then Metal caught her, and she screamed. 

"Amy!" Tikal cried, on the floor after being dropped. 

"Step aside, Tikal!" Rouge said, coming out from the corner. "Time for some serious kicking!" Rouge leaped into the air, and with her boots, she landed on Metal, kicking him hard and rapidly. 

Amy was free, dropped near Tikal on the floor, and Rouge kept kicking that robot until he crashed into the deli wall, burying himself in bread. Rouge landed on the floor nearby. Outside, the girls heard police car sirens. Amy and Tikal untied the manager, who was locked in a closet.

"Oh, thank you!" said the grateful manager. "You saved me! You saved my store! Thanks!" 

"You're welcome," Tikal said shyly. 

"Say, mister, have you seen any RVs lately?" Amy asked him curiously. "We're missing one." 

"RVs, huh? Well…" the man scratched his head, which was missing some hair. "Come to think of it, yes, I did. Just a few hours ago, I saw one being taken by a truck down the road."

"Really? What did it look like?" Amy asked. 

"It was white with blue stripes on its sides with the name of Cross Country right up front."

"Cross Country? It must be it!" Tikal said, smiling. 

"Which road was it?" Amy asked the man, and he showed them on a Mississippi map. 

"Here, take this map," he said, giving it to Amy. "You'll need it to find your way." 

"Oh, thank you, sir." Amy smiled, and after paying for their items, they left the store through the emergency exit, which the kind manager told them about. "The RV can't be far now," she said. 

"Yeah, Amy," Rouge agreed. "But right now, we better find the rest of our team." 

"But where could they be?" Tikal wondered, looking around. 

"Not too far away," answered a voice, and the girls turned to see that it was Sonic. 

"SONIC!" They said, and they ran to meet the others in the gas station parking lot. 

"Are you girls all right?" Sonic asked them. 

"Yes, we're fine, and we got the map!" Amy held it up in her hand. 

"And the manager in there saw the RV!" Tikal announced. 

"Where?" Tails and Knuckles asked. 

"He said it was taken down that road." Rouge pointed ahead. 

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Shadow asked. 

"We should go," Metal-2 said, and Freeway sleepily nodded in the backpack. 

"Okay," Sonic said. "Now that we're all together again, let's hit the road!" 

Then Sonic ran with the others following. They vanished down the road searching. Just then, Dr. Eggman chuckled in his ship with Metal Sonic and Chaos standing beside it after escaping.  

"And now, you two…" Eggman said, and then he suddenly slapped them both. "You failures!" 

"Ouch!" Chaos yelped, holding his head. "What did I do?" he asked, rubbing it. 

Silent, Metal hit him again. Eggman looked down the road where the Sonic team disappeared. 

"I think I have a good idea where they're going, and if I'm right, I'll get there first!" He laughed out loud, leaving the area to avoid police. Metal Sonic followed and Chaos Zero did also. 


	11. RV Rediscovery

**Chapter 11: RV Rediscovery**

On the road somewhere in Mississippi, Sonic the Hedgehog and his crew followed a path until they came to a city. They stopped to rest after a time of walking and running. Looking at a map of the place, Tails sat down with Sonic on a picnic bench while the blue hedgehog removed his shoe to shake the dirt out. Shadow sat alone, away from the others in a tree, thinking. Knuckles and Rouge were searching the ground in the area for coins and treasure, and Amy rested with Tikal on the soft green grass with Freeway in the cool shade. Metal-2 kept his eyes alert, but he seemed rested with Sonic and Tails. They still had a missing RV to find, and it could not be far now. 

"Sonic, what if we never find the RV?" Tails asked. 

"Never say never," Sonic told him. "Soon or sooner, we'll find it. Don't worry." 

"This is more like a hiking trip to me," said Metal-2. "It's not too bad." 

In the tree above, Shadow snorted, not saying anything. Tikal and Freeway were taking a nap, but Amy stayed awake, watching Sonic and the others. Sonic slipped his red shoes back on. Just then, he heard the sound of tires screeching to a stop. The picnic bench they were sitting on was near the road, and Sonic gasped when he saw a truck heading for them. It was losing control. 

"Everybody, run!" Sonic shouted, leaping from the bench with Tails flying after him. 

Metal-2 helped Amy, Tikal, and Freeway to safety while Knuckles and Rouge ducked behind some trashcans. The truck crashed into a tree, the same tree Shadow was resting it. The black hedgehog almost fell off the branch, but he held on tight to keep from falling down. 

"Some vacation!" Shadow said, looking down at the black truck that finally stopped. 

Sonic and the others returned. "Shadow! Are you okay? Come down from there!" 

"Why should I?" Shadow asked, and then Metal-2 stood under the branch. 

"Let go and I'll catch you!" Metal-2 promised, holding out his arms. 

"No!" Shadow refused, and then suddenly, he heard the branch cracking. "Then again…" 

The branch broke, and then Shadow came crashing down on the surprised android, but he quickly caught him to break the fall. Metal-2 put Shadow down on the ground and the black hedgehog stood unharmed. He brushed the dust off himself, looking at the truck. 

"Who could it be?" Amy wondered. "Maybe someone is hurt." 

"I'll go look," Sonic volunteered, and he approached the truck with caution.  

Before Sonic came to the door, it opened and someone stepped outside. It was…

"Big!" Sonic shouted the name of the large purple cat. "What happened? You okay?" 

"No, not with my fishing rod missing," Big said, and his pet frog, Froggy was on his head. 

"How come you crashed like this?" Rouge asked. 

"I only came here to fish, but a watery fellow took my rod saying he needed it to catch someone."

"Sounds like Chaos!" Knuckles said, and the crew agreed. 

Big continued. "I tried to catch up with him, but I lost control and crashed here." 

"Did someone attack your truck?" Tikal asked him, holding Freeway.  

Big nodded. "He was about this high, he was blue, and he looked like a robot." 

"Metal!" Sonic said, growling. "But where could your fishing rod be now?" 

"If it was found, it's in Rediscovery Shop in this city," Big answered. 

"Rediscovery Shop, huh?" Tails said, "Hey, maybe the RV is there now!" 

"More than likely, Tails." Metal-2 agreed. "But I don't see this shop on the map…"

Tails shrugged. "It must be very new, or someone is imagining things." 

"That's where I'm going now," Big told them. "If you want, you can come along." 

"That'll be great!" Sonic said, grateful. "Come on, let's go, guys." 

"What about the truck?" Shadow asked, pointing. 

"We'll fix it later," Sonic replied, and he left to follow Big with the others. 

And so, after turning down a few streets, crossing and following, they came to a large warehouse with the name Rediscovery Shop. It was a lost and found building where many items were kept.  Big and small, they came in many sizes and colors and from different places, some even from other states. If Sonic found a lost RV from Alabama, he would consider himself very lucky. 

"What goes up must come down," the blue hedgehog hummed the theme of Sonic Heroes. 

"Are you sure you know where you're going, Big?" Knuckles asked. 

"Of course, I know. I found Froggy there a few times before," Big assured him. 

"Please, can't we stop and rest for a few minutes?" Tikal asked, tired. 

"I'm tired, too. Sonic, let's stop for a little here, okay?" Amy asked. 

Sonic sighed, stopping. "Well, all right." He stood, waiting. 

The girls sat down, tired. Rouge removed a small stone from her boot. 

"My feet will be full of blisters if this keeps up," the bat sighed. 

Rouge threw the stone and it flew just over Knuckles' head, passing Tails, and it came to a stop in front of the Rediscovery Shop, which was behind the crew, and the stone hit Metal Sonic on the head. Angry, Metal turned to see Chaos Zero who was happily holding a stolen fishing rod. 

"What are you doing?" Metal Sonic asked. 

"Fishing!" Chaos answered proudly, and then Metal snatched the rod away. 

After hitting Chaos on the head with the rod, he tossed it aside and left to find Eggman, dragging the dizzy Chaos with him. Behind the shop, Sonic tapped his foot, thinking. 

"Well, we better get going now. The shop should be right behind us," he said.

"You think it really has the RV?" Amy asked.

"I'm hoping that," Sonic answered, and he began to walk, leaving. "Let's go." 

Everyone followed Sonic except for Metal-2. Sonic noticed this, and so he turned back. 

"What's wrong?" He asked, and the android stood still, not moving. 

Tails came over to see. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"He won't move," Sonic said. "He's acting very strange today." 

Knuckles shrugged. "Maybe something's wrong." 

"Well, what is it?" Shadow asked. 

Metal-2 turned his head. "It's nothing. We should go now."

"My thoughts exactly," said Sonic, leading the way.  

When they came in front of the building, Big was surprised to see a fishing rod on the sidewalk. He picked it up, looking it over, and happily, he found that it was his missing rod. It was safe.

"I found it!" Big told the others that were approaching. "It was right here!" 

Sonic whistled. "Cool! Now if only things could go this well for us for a change."

"Don't bet on it, blue," Rouge sighed. 

"Hey, let's go in and see if they have the RV," Tails said excitedly. 

Sonic agreed. "Right, we should hurry." 

"Are you coming with us, Big?" Amy asked the cat. 

"I'd like to, but I have fishing to do. I'm sure we'll meet again on the road."

"Count on it, Big." Sonic shook his hand, and they waved goodbye as Big left. 

And so at last, Sonic and the crew opened the door of the huge warehouse building. It seemed friendly at first, but the lights suddenly shut off and the doors locked behind them. Everyone stood silent and still, staying together and wondering what caused the blackout. 

"Oh, why can't we have at least one normal day?" Knuckles asked, shaking his head. 

"Normal would be boring." Sonic grinned in the dark, winking an eye. 

Tails gasped. "Sonic, we're trapped in a dark warehouse and no one is home!" 

"That's terrible!" Amy exclaimed. 

"Oh! What could be worse?" Rouge wondered.

"Being trapped with him." Shadow meant Sonic by this. 

Sonic tried to assure them. "Don't worry, guys, I'm sure everything is under control." 

Just then, they heard a voice say, "Yes, everything is under control…MY control!" 

"Doctor Eggman!" The crew shouted in the darkness, and they were correct. 

Eggman laughed out loud in his ship, allowing the lights to return. "Welcome to your doom!"

Sonic and the others blinked to let their eyes adjust to the light, and then they saw the RV. It stood alone in the building and Eggman was over it, hovering in his ship. 

"Look, it's the RV!" Sonic said when he saw it. 

"It's alive!" Freeway said happily, and then she hid in the backpack when she saw danger. 

"Your time is up today, Sonic," Eggman said to him. "Metal has left a bomb just for your RV, and with you all trapped in here, I get a super size deal! This whole warehouse is toast!" 

"No way!" Sonic yelled, shaking a fist at him. "We'll find a way to stop it!" 

"You'll only speed things up a little, which is okay with me." Eggman turned his ship to leave. "Farewell, losers!" He laughed again and disappeared, leaving them dangerously trapped. 

"Now…that's…just…lovely," Knuckles said slowly. 

"But not totally unexpected," Metal-2 said, showing no fear. 

"Come on!" Sonic called, running toward the RV. "Let's find the bomb and stop it!" 

"Coming, Sonic!" Tails answered, following faithfully. 

"How will we know if we found it?" Tikal asked, looking around. 

"You'll hear a big, huge, enormous, loud BOOM!" Shadow replied, scaring the girls. 

"Hey!" Knuckles called, "Sonic, I found something strange, and it's beeping, too!" 

Sonic hurried to where Knuckles was standing, finding the bomb right under the RV. "There it is!" He shouted, diving under the RV. "Hurry, guys, let's do it!" 

Shadow joined him under there with Knuckles. Metal-2 was already with the bomb, looking at it. 

"There are two wires…" Sonic said, looking at the bomb. "A red and a blue one." 

"Hmm…which one should I cut?" Metal-2 asked. 

"How am I supposed to know?!" Knuckles asked, sweating. 

"Place all your bets on the one you think is right!" Sonic sang. 

"You know," Shadow said, on his back. "We could draw straws." 

"No! We have to pick the right one, or it'll explode!" Tails said, also under the RV. 

"I know! I know that, Tails!" Sonic swallowed. 

"Can it be removed?" Knuckles asked. 

"Negative," Metal-2 answered calmly. "It's too risky." 

"We better pick soon because we've only got 12 seconds left!" Sonic pointed. 

"What? That's hardly enough time to make a sandwich!" Knuckles gasped. 

"Will you boys hurry up down there before we all get killed?!" Amy screamed. 

"Speed is my middle name," said Sonic. "Knuckles, you do the honor. Pick one!" 

"Huh? Wh-why me?!" Knuckles asked, sweating more. 

"Because you're so good at it!" Everyone shouted the answer at the red echidna. 

"Oh, right!" Knuckles looked at the bomb, and with only five seconds left, he said, "Blue!" 

Everyone closed their eyes tightly except Metal-2, who cut a wire. The bomb stopped. 

Sonic opened his green eyes. "We did it!" He shouted when he saw the bomb stop. 

Knuckles looked over at Metal-2. He was holding the red wire, which was the one he cut. "You never listen to me," he said, almost breathless. "Good boy." And Metal-2 grinned. 

Then they all came out from underneath the RV, and they were unharmed. The RV itself was a little muddy, but to them, it was still home sweet home. After all…

"Home is where you park it," Sonic reminded them. "We found it at last!" And everyone cheered. 

Sonic opened the door, entering the RV with the others following. It was like returning home after a long journey. Everyone took their seats, buckled and ready to go. Sonic was the driver. 

"Is there any way out of here?" Amy asked, looking around the locked warehouse. 

"There might be," Sonic answered, turning the key, hoping for the best, and the RV turned on. 

"YES!" They shouted happily. 

"Okay," said Sonic, holding the steering wheel. "Let's see what else is out there." 

"With the RV back, things will be different," Rouge said. "Back to normal, I hope." 

"Oh no!" Knuckles gasped when he suddenly remembered what normal meant for them. 

"YAHOO!" Sonic drove the RV toward the locked doors. 

With the others screaming inside the RV, holding onto something, Metal-2 pressed a button on a small remote control he found on the warehouse floor, opening the doors before they crashed. And so, with the On the Road Again song playing on the RV radio, the crew made it outside of the dark, dusty warehouse, discovering that it was all a trap made for them. Sonic looked in his rearview mirror and the sign that said _Rediscovery Shop fell down to the street. The warehouse was abandoned, but Eggman must have used it for bait. Luckily, they were the fish that got away. _

"It was a trap," Shadow said, also looking in the mirror. "He actually set a trap…" 

"But we got the RV back, Shadow," Sonic reminded his front passenger. "Cheer up." 

Shadow took a sip of hot coffee, silent while watching the window. 

"This calls for a celebration," Tikal said happily. "Let's have a party for the RV!" 

"Hey, yeah!" Amy agreed. "If we could find a picnic area, it'll be great!" 

Knuckles nodded. "I'm for it."

"Sounds like fun," said Rouge. "Let's do that." 

Tails opened his laptop. "We're in luck," he said. "Picnic areas are only a few miles away." 

"Great!" Sonic whistled. "We'll get there in no time, and then the RV could use a refill." 

"Very well," said Metal-2. "But how do we have a party for the RV?" he wondered. 

"Just think of it as a birthday party, okay?" Tails smiled at his friend. 

"But I never had a birthday party before," Metal-2 told him. 

Tails sighed. "Look, when we get there, maybe you'll learn something."

Soon the RV stopped near a picnic table, and after Sonic looked around from on top of the RV, he saw that it was safe. There was no sign of Eggman following them. It was nice and peaceful. 

"It's nice here," he said, hopping off the RV roof, landing on the ground with the crew. 

"So, this is it?" Knuckles asked. 

"Yeah, we'll rest here for a little, welcome the RV back, and then head for a gas station." 

"Okay, Sonic." Tails nodded. He looked around. "Are we going to cook anything here?" 

"Leave that to me," said Shadow, walking toward the nearby barbecue. 

"Shadow, what are you doing?" Sonic asked.  

"I'll take care of this," he said, starting a fire. "I'll be the cook!" 

Then everyone, even Metal-2, gasped with dread and fear. 

"What?" Shadow asked innocently after putting on a white chef hat. 

"Nothing," Knuckles lied. "We're just…just hungry, yeah!" He nodded, smiling. 

Shadow grinned, opening a can of Spam. He fried it on a pan. The others sat on the picnic table with paper cups and plates, waiting and talking. Amy was making some ice-cold lemonade. They ate a lunch of Spam sandwiches together. Amy served Sonic a cup first, pouring lemonade. 

Sonic, thirsty because of the strange tasting Spam, took a drink. He made a funny face and put it away. "Ew! Yuck!" He said, "It's pink!" Yes, it was pink lemonade, indeed. 

Shadow reached for a cup that was the same one Sonic had. "Oh, yuck! Faker germs!" 

He passed it to Tails, and the fox took a sip, unaware that it was Shadow's. "Weird," he said simply, passing it to Knuckles, who was very thirsty. The red echidna took the paper cup. 

"Wow, pink lemonade!" He said, holding the cup. "Oh, it's my favorite!" He drank it.

Sonic and the other boys watched without blinking as Knuckles drank every single drop.  

"You know, I'm beginning to like RV parties," said Metal-2. The others laughed. 

Sonic stood up. "Well, now that we finished our lunch, let's make sure the RV is satisfied." 

And so, driving away into the calm afternoon wind of Mississippi, Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends, now together in the RV again, traveled down the road. After reaching a nearby gas station, the RV was filled up and they had a fun time washing it there also. Everyone was soaked with water and soap, laughing. When they were clean and dry, they departed. Twilight came early to the Mississippi sky, and soon the stars showed themselves after hiding behind their blue curtain. Parked at a rest area, Sonic and the crew relaxed on the RV rooftop, watching the sky. They stayed up late, roasted marshmallows, listened to music and shared ideas for the next stop. It was good to see a clear sky again, and Sonic was glad to see the RV back on its wheels.


	12. Clean Sweep

**Chapter 12: Clean Sweep **

With Jackson, Mississippi on the road behind them, Sonic drove the RV to the north to find a lake. The others had enough of city sightseeing for now, and so they were hoping to find a lake to visit and maybe even go fishing also. Tails' laptop was very helpful to find the right streets and shortcuts. Even though Mississippi seemed slow like the river that had its name, he began to like it there. There was so much to see; he did not know where to start. The others relaxed in the RV, some taking naps, some playing games, and others just read books. 

Tails turned the page of a book, and he asked, "What River is called the Father of Waters?" 

Amy shrugged, unsure. "We give up."

"The Mississippi!" Tails answered, chuckling. 

"How can Mississippi be anybody's father?" Knuckles wondered. "It should be Mrissippi."

"Yeah, but Mississippi is the mama," Freeway said, smiling. 

Everyone laughed. Not long after this, Sonic stopped the RV when a lake came into his sight. The green trees stood to show a wonderful sight with the sky giving a great view. Shadow opened his front passenger window. The wind was calm and cool outside the afternoon. 

"Well, what do you think?" Sonic asked. "Here's a lake. Is this what you guys had in mind?" 

"It's even better!" Tikal said, amazed. 

"Perfect!" said Knuckles as he stood up to see better. 

"Oh, I like it!" Amy said happily with Freeway nodding. 

"Looks great! Let's go," said Rouge. 

"Yeah," Metal-2 agreed. "This looks fine." 

"Cool!" Tails added. 

Smiling, Sonic turned to Shadow. "And you?"

Silent at first, Shadow faced him. "Can I drive?" he asked. 

Sonic chuckled. "Sure." He switched places with him. 

Soon they came near the beautiful lake with water that seemed crystal clear. The sun was shining with only a few clouds above, and the birds let their voices be the sound to enjoy with the calm wind blowing. The RV stopped and the engine rested under a shady tree. They watched the lake for a few minutes, thinking of where they could spend the day. Sonic turned his head when he heard voices nearby. Not far away, he saw two men standing and talking with each other. They seemed to be arguing when one of the men left in a truck. The other man, older than the one that left, stayed. He shook his head and turned, looking at something through the trees. Curious, Sonic opened the door of the RV, and then he stepped outside. The others went out with him. 

"Sonic, what are you doing?" Knuckles asked. 

"I'm a tourist," Sonic answered simply. "I want to know what's going on."  

"That man looks very sad," Tails noticed. 

"Come on," said Amy. "Maybe we can help." She approached with Tikal ahead of her.  

"Excuse us," Tikal said gently to the man. "Hello, sir…" 

The old man turned around and faced the group. "Who are you?" he asked. 

"I'm Tikal," the girl echidna replied. "And these are my friends." 

"You must be tourist," he said, and the group nodded. "Well," the man said, "I'm sorry, but there's not much to see here…not anymore." He sadly shook his head. 

"But this place has such a beautiful lake," Amy said. 

"And the trees are huge!" Knuckles added, opening his arms wide. 

"You don't understand," said the man. "This land has been my family's place for a long, long time. But my son thinks this cabin is useless now and needs to be destroyed." 

"What cabin?" Tails asked, and the man pointed to it. 

"Over there," he said, showing them a log cabin, which looked very old, in need of repair. 

"Wow, it looks really old," Sonic said, blinking.  

The man nodded. "My grandfather built it for travelers, but it's finished now." 

There was a moment of silence. Sonic watched the old man looking at the broken cabin as if it would be the last time. His green eyes turned to his friends. They all nodded at him. 

Sonic smiled and turned back to face the man. "No, it isn't finished." 

The man raised an eyebrow. "It's true," he said. "That thing is a wreck, I'm too old to repair it, and my son wants it torn down. We just don't have what it takes." 

"You do now," said Sonic. "My friends and I can fix it up in a flash." 

The elder looked very surprised, studying the stranger's face. "You…you will?" 

"Yeah!" Knuckles answered, "Look, I'm as strong as an ox!" He punched at the wind. 

"And you're as big as one, too!" Rouge giggled. 

Knuckles blushed and everyone laughed, even the old man. 

"Okay, I'll tell you what," he said to the crew. "If you fix this cabin up before my son gets back, I'll let you have it as long as you stay at the lake. I don't have much cash to pay you…" 

"Don't worry about that," Amy said to him. "We'll think of this as part of our road trip." 

"We'll do it," Sonic promised, and they shook hands. The man looked much happier. 

= = = = = 

Later that day… 

After some dusting and mopping, the floors and walls inside the old cabin looked much better. Metal-2 worked hard on the outside, repairing the windows with Tails helping him. The girls were busy mopping and dusting the rooms. Sonic entered the cabin, carrying a paintbrush and a pail, wearing a white cap to protect his head. He stopped, looking around. 

"Come on, Shadow, hurry up!" he called, looking behind himself. 

"I'm not going," Shadow's voice answered from behind the slightly closed door. 

"Hey, we've come too far," Sonic said, tapping his foot. "You can't back out now." 

"Tell you what, you go on without me. Maybe I'm better off helping the android…" 

"Shadow…now!" Sonic commanded. 

Then at last, Shadow entered the cabin, holding a pail and paintbrush with a cap also. "You'll pay greatly for this," Shadow promised the blue hedgehog. "The Ultimate doesn't paint!" 

"He does now," Sonic chuckled. "This will be a breeze, just wait and see." He winked. 

"Let's just get this over with," Shadow sighed. 

"Good idea." Sonic started painting with his brush. "We don't want to paint in the dark." 

"Yeah…right." Shadow nodded, walking to a wall with his paintbrush ready. 

Nearby, Rouge and Amy finished mopping up the kitchen. Tikal was beating a rug outside with Freeway trying to help. Tails hammered to be sure the window frame was steady. 

"There…how's that?" He asked, looking down at his android friend. 

Metal-2 stopped and looked up, carrying a ladder. "Looks as good as new!" 

"Thanks!" Tails smiled, flying down to him. "We just have three more to repair." 

"Then let's get to work!" Metal-2 led the way to the next window. 

Tikal dragged in the rug after washing it. "Okay, this one's all clean!" 

"There's one more behind you!" Rouge told her from in the kitchen. 

"I'll get it!" Tikal answered, and she turned to get it. 

Amy watched Tikal and Freeway drag the dusty rug outside, and then she continued her mopping. "Rouge, I haven't seen Knuckles. You know where he is?" she asked the bat. 

"Oh, sure," Rouge replied, cleaning the sink. "He got the job no one else wanted."  

"Oh? What's that?" Amy asked. 

Just then, dust came falling down from the chimney and then they heard Knuckles coughing. 

"Chimney sweeping," Rouge finished answering, and then they got back to cleaning. 

Back to the painting hedgehogs, Sonic and Shadow finished working in the bedroom. It was not a very big room, which was good for them. It was a job well done. 

"Plain and simple, Shades," Sonic said, standing to admire his work. "It's a great job!" 

"I suppose," Shadow said, shrugging. 

"Well, sure it is," Sonic assured him. "We got it done before dark, just like our goal." 

"Your goal, not mine," Shadow corrected, tossing the paintbrush aside. 

"Okay, whatever you say." Sonic let him win this time. "Let's go patch up the stairs now." 

Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Metal-2 and Tails were busy replacing the broken roof tiles. Metal-2 hammered in the last nail, but he needed more for the remaining tiles. 

"Tails, go get some more nails over here, will you?" he asked. 

Tails nodded, standing up. "I'll be right back." 

He hurried to the toolbox, reaching for it, but to his surprise, it suddenly moved by itself. Tails gasped, backing away from it. He reached for the box again, shaking. Again, it moved. 

"H-hey, stop that!" Tails said to the box. 

"What's going on?" Metal-2 asked, looking over his shoulder. 

"I don't know, but--" Tails stopped before he could finish his reply. Something black from underneath the toolbox appeared with the box on top of it, causing Tails to yell in fright. 

Metal-2 quickly stood up, aiming his blasters at the black thing. "Stop right there!" 

The black thing with the toolbox on its head coughed. "Guys, it's just me!" 

Tails recognized the voice. "Knuckles!" 

"What? It can't be," said the surprised Metal-2. "He's all black!" He blinked. 

"I'm cleaning the chimney!" Knuckles explained with only his head to be seen. "Looks like I finally made it up to the rooftop and all the way to this heavy toolbox." 

Tails smiled, taking the box off the echidna's black head. "Sorry about that." 

"Nothing to worry about," Knuckles said. "Anyway, I have to get back now." 

"Okay, be careful," Tails cautioned him. 

Knuckles nodded, and then he moved down into the chimney to finish his work. And so, hours later, the sun was going down. Twilight arrived when the crew stopped working. It was finished. Knuckles cleaned himself, so he was gladly red again. He did not quite know how Shadow could stand it. The place looked neat and clean with fresh paint, new windows, repaired roof and stairs, and one very clean chimney, thanks to Knuckles. The crew gathered together in the living room. 

"Good work, guys," Sonic proudly praised them. "We did it!" They clapped and cheered. 

"Let's celebrate with some fresh popcorn!" Amy surprised them. 

"Popcorn!" They cheered, "Yeah!" Everyone sat down near the fireplace to eat. 

"It's a good thing you cleaned up, Knuckles," Rouge said. "Now we can all enjoy it." 

Knuckles put another piece of wood in for the fire. "Yeah, but Sonic needs a wash, too." 

"Huh? What?" Sonic looked at the echidna. "I wasn't in the chimney." 

"I know, but you got white paint on the back of your head." Knuckles pointed.

Sonic blinked and pulled out a small mirror. When he saw himself, he felt like screaming. Knuckles was not joking. Shadow, clearly the guilty one, started to laugh. Then Sonic knew. 

"So, it was you, huh?" Sonic asked, pointing to his white quills. 

"Of course," Shadow answered. "It just goes to show you who is the Ultimate around here." 

He turned and walked away. When he turned, everyone in the cabin laughed. Shadow had white paint on the back of his head also, just like Sonic. They must have done the same thing to each other, not really knowing it until later. The night came and the sonic crew enjoyed fresh popcorn in the restored cabin. The RV safely rested just outside under the tree. Sonic and the others slept in their sleeping bags inside the cabin. Metal-2 stood guarding all night long on the front porch. Nights did seem like a very long time, but he had memories to look back on to pass that time. When the old man saw the cabin the next day, he was speechless. It truly looked like a different cabin, inside and outside. It was saved, thanks to the Sonic crew. It would be used again so other travelers could enjoy it with the lake. But Sonic could not stay in one place for too long. They had to move on. After spending another day there, they packed up and moved out in the RV. They were on the road again together, not knowing what was ahead of them. Sonic made the RV turn west. There were so many more places to visit and see. In Mississippi, they left a landmark of their own. It was not in gold or bronze. It was just a cabin, but in a way, it became a shining castle.


	13. New In New Orleans

**Chapter 13: New In New Orleans**

It was raining when they left Mississippi with an eerie wind blowing through the trees. The clouds were dark and scary, but no lightning showed itself. The thunder was not very loud and the storm soon calmed down to a soft, gentle rain. The RV needed a wash, anyway, so Sonic the Hedgehog did not complain much. Some of them were taking a nap while Shadow, Knuckles, and Metal-2 stayed awake with the blue driver. Sonic was driving on a lonely Mississippi road, leaving the state. He suddenly stopped the RV and the wheels screamed like a troubled owl. 

"AN OWL!" Tails yelped as he woke up on the sofa from a nightmare. 

"Relax!" Metal-2 calmed the surprised crew down.   

"What happened?" asked Rouge, rubbing her sleepy eyes. 

Sonic unbuckled and turned to the others. "Wow! We're facing two states!" 

"Big deal!" Shadow said sarcastically. "Somebody beam me outta here!" 

Sonic let a sweat drop run down his head. "Well, I was just surprised." He chuckled. 

Knuckles nodded. "We better pick one." 

Tails opened a map file. "Let's see…we're now facing Arkansas and Louisiana." 

"That's a tough one," said Amy. "Which state are we going to see next?"

"I know!" Sonic pulled out a coin. "Brilliant, huh?" he grinned and the others stared.  

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Just do it." 

"Heads or tails?" Sonic wondered. 

"I'm Tails…but who's Heads?" asked the fox. 

"He meant the coin," Rouge quickly explained. 

Shadow decided for them. "Heads for Arkansas and tails for Louisiana." 

"I agree," said Knuckles, and likewise said the others. 

"Okay, here we go!" Sonic flipped the coin and it fell to the RV floor, spinning. 

Every eye carefully watched the coin to see which side it would fall on. It turned and turned until at last, it fell to the floor. The side showed tails. The crew smiled at the answer. 

Sonic started up the RV again. "Louisiana, here we come!" He drove on the road. 

"So, lookout!" Shadow warned the state ahead of the wild blue one. 

= = = = = 

Meanwhile, at a nearby hotel… 

Just outside of Louisiana, Dr. Eggman happily relaxed on a long chair near a swimming pool. He felt so glad that the RV had disappeared with Sonic nowhere to be found. Chaos Zero swam around in the pool, which scared all the other swimmers away. Metal Sonic stood coldly at the gate near Eggman. He watched while silently doubting the RV was gone for good. 

"Hey, Metal!" Chaos called from high up on a diving board. "Watch this!" 

Metal Sonic ignored him at first, but then a sudden idea came to his mind. "Okay," he said, "Just let me get my sunglasses on…" The blue robot hovered to a wall, which had a control panel. He broke it open and then he put a pair of red sunglasses on. "Anytime now!" he said. 

Chaos nodded and then he bounced up and down on the board for a great jump. When he jumped off, Metal Sonic pulled a switch on the control panel, which was for the pool to let the water drain out. It did so very quickly, emptying itself before Chaos could splash in. He fell flat on the cement floor at the bottom of the pool, very dizzy upon impact. Metal Sonic chuckled. 

Chaos sat up, a little flattened after that. "Taxpayers," he groaned in pain. "They can't even keep a pool full of water." He climbed up, hanging onto the edge of the empty pool. 

Eggman opened his eyes after hearing the crash. When he looked toward the pool, he froze with complete surprise and shock. Through the chain-linked fence, he saw the RV driving by, entering Louisiana. He yelled and fell backward in his long chair, which made Chaos fall back in the pool. 

Metal Sonic shook his head. "I'm surrounded by dummies." 

= = = = =

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana…

"Here at last!" Sonic said, stopping the RV in front of a welcome sign.  

"It's green," said Tails, looking outside a window with Metal-2. 

"Sure is, and better yet, the rain stopped!" Amy giggled with Tikal. 

"Now we can hunt for treasure!" Rouge rejoiced. 

"Ha! There's no treasure around here…is there?" Knuckles asked her quietly. 

The bat winked. "Only one way to find out." 

Tails changed the time on the clock. "I almost forgot that we're in the Central Time Zone now."

Shadow blinked. "Sounds like something outta the Twilight Zone to change time like that." 

"We should find a place to park the RV first," Metal-2 said to the driver. 

"Right," Sonic agreed. "Let's go do that, and then we can look around." 

Metal-2 closed the window. "I still have doubts that we lost them…"

"Doctor Eggman?" Tails asked, and the android silently nodded. 

"Don't worry," Tikal comforted him. "He's gone now." 

Metal-2 continued to watch the window when Tikal left to sit with Amy. Tails stayed with him, saying nothing. He tried not to worry, but something told him to watch out for any signs of danger. He wondered if Metal-2 could feel that also. The RV moved on to find a parking place. Lake Pontchartrain seemed to welcome the travelers that were heading for the city. It was sparkling at the airport as they passed by and a few pelicans flew overhead. 

"This brings back memories of Florida," Sonic told the crew. "Let's wear our hats!" 

"Okay!" Knuckles and the others did so. 

Just then, Amy saw someone standing at a stop sign. "Look, someone's there!" 

Sonic looked ahead. "He might need help…" He stopped the RV at the sign. 

"I'm not so sure about this," Shadow doubted. 

"The least we could do is give him a ride to town," said Sonic. 

Knuckles opened the RV to the stranded stranger. "Hey, there, need a lift?" 

The stranger in a coat nodded. "Yes, thank you!" Then the man entered. When he came inside, he saw Sonic and the crew, all wearing their Mickey Mouse hats from Disney World. 

"Hi!" Rouge waved at him. 

The man was very surprised. "What is this?!" he asked, almost shouting it out. 

Sonic grinned. "The chance of a lifetime," he answered. "You're about to ride a RV!" 

"More like crash and burn!" the man panicked. "This is where I get off!" And he left. 

Shadow turned to the blue hedgehog. "You scared him." 

"Well, I hope I scared you both," he grinned, driving away. 

With the song, City of New Orleans playing, they entered the city. Tails found it funny that the state bird was the brown pelican. He had seen a few flying over them and the nickname for Louisiana is Pelican State. He looked at the state on a map, trying to imagine it to be a pelican.

"Where are we now? What is this strange street?" Knuckles asked. 

"Let's see…" Sonic stopped and looked at a sign. "This is Paris Avenue." 

"How in the world did we land in France?!" Amy gasped. 

"No, it's a street name," Tails corrected, pointing at his map. 

"Oh!" Amy exclaimed. "Since we're in a city, maybe we could have lunch at a restaurant." 

"I like that idea," Knuckles said, hungry. "How about you, Sonic?"

"Music to my ears," he answered and then he looked at Shadow. "What do you say?" 

"I told you before," said Shadow. "I say very little." 

"I'll take that as a yes." And Sonic drove in the city again. 

Soon he stopped at City Park in New Orleans. The RV rested there in the shade. Everyone stepped outside, and after making sure it was locked and safe, they left to see the city. Amy took pictures with her camera, some of the buildings and some of her friends. 

"This is a neat place!" Sonic exclaimed, looking around while walking with the crew. 

"It won't be so neat when a herd of alligators come to eat us," Shadow said. 

Rouge smiled. "Come on, Shadow, you know nothing is gonna eat you." 

"You can say that again," Sonic smirked. "He's way overcooked!" He laughed. 

Shadow chased him and Sonic ran, still laughing. 

"Hey, you guys, knock it off!" Tails shouted at the running hedgehogs. 

"Hmm…watching them run around like that makes me hungry," said Knuckles. 

Rouge looked away, sighing. "You're always hungry." 

"Where could we go?" Tikal asked.

Before anyone could answer, they heard music. Knuckles blinked and turned around. On a sidewalk, he saw a crocodile with a Walkman approaching with headphones on. That was the music they were hearing. The crocodile did not seem to notice them because he had his eyes closed, dancing his way on the sidewalk. Knuckles recognized this reptile. 

"Hey, that's Vector," he told the others. "It's Vector from the Team Chaotix!" 

"Really?" Tails asked; looking to be sure and it was true. 

"Why don't we talk to him?" Amy suggested. 

"I'll try…" Rouge walked over to Vector. "Hey!" she called, "Vector, it's us!" 

But Vector did not see or hear her because of the music and his closed eyes. Knuckles knew what to do. The red echidna leaped up and snatched the headphones off. Vector opened his eyes. 

"Hey, who took my tunes?!" He snarled down at the sweating red echidna. "You!" 

"W-wait a minute!" Knuckles gulped, backing away. "Don't eat me! It's Knuckles!" 

"Knuckles?" Vector took a closer look. "It is you, Knux!" He laughed and so did Knuckles. 

"Sorry, but we tried to get your attention." Knuckles gave the headphones back. 

"No problemo," said Vector. "Say, what are you doing here?" he asked. 

"We're traveling on the road together," Tails answered. 

"Yeah, and we're starving!" Amy said. 

"Starving? So am I!" Vector licked his lips and the others backed away slightly. 

"Um…do you know any good restaurants?" Metal-2 asked. 

"I sure do," Vector replied. "Just follow me and we can go together." 

Just then, Charmy the Bee flew over, stopping beside Vector's head. "I'm coming, too!"  

"Hi, Charmy, long time no see," Knuckles greeted, and the bee kindly waved his hand. 

"Charmy, these are our special guests," Vector told him. "So, the bill is on us." 

"There's a little, tiny, slight problem," Charmy announced. "I'm broke!" 

"You, too, huh?" Vector shrugged. "Well, there's always Espio. Where is he?" 

"He's over there." Charmy pointed at a nearby tree, but the crew saw no one there. 

"I don't see anyone," Tikal said, confused. 

"That's because he's using camouflage to hide himself," Charmy explained. 

Before their eyes, the crew saw the purple chameleon appear on the tree. He was hanging upside down by his tail like opossums do sometimes. His eyes curiously scanned the guests. 

"Espio, we need to take out a loan with you," Charmy requested. "It's for our guests." 

"Don't worry, we'll pay ya back," Vector promised. 

Espio climbed down from the tree and stood up on the ground. He waved his hand in front of himself, keeping an eye on the others. "I don't go for that stuff," he said. "It's not a loan." 

"You're all very kind," Amy said gratefully. "Thank you." 

"We should go now," Espio told them. "Lunch has already started. The bill is on me." 

"Thanks!" Knuckles said, "Well, come on, you guys. Let's follow them." 

"But where's Sonic and Shadow?" Tails asked. 

"They'll chase each other for a while," Rouge said. "I wouldn't worry about them." 

"Don't worry. We'll find them later," Knuckles assured them. "For now, let's go." 

"We can order a takeout for the runners," Vector suggested, and they left. 

When they all turned down a corner out of sight, Metal Sonic and Chaos Zero stepped out of a dark alley. The robot silently left to take a shortcut.

= = = = = 

A little later…

The restaurant was a nice place. Knuckles and the others settled down for lunch there while Metal-2 stood watching. He could not sit down because he was almost positive that trouble was nearby. He had to keep alert. Tails poked curiously at his crawfish and then he cut a piece off. 

"This is pretty good," Tails commented after swallowing a bite. 

"Possibly the best in all of New Orleans," Knuckles added. 

"Thanks. We knew you'd like it." Charmy smiled, sitting next to Vector. 

Espio sat down and looked at the bill. His eyes grew wide. "How did I get myself into this…?" 

Rouge, Tikal, and Amy Rose were at the salad bar, selecting some things there. Charmy ate his soup, enjoying every drop, and Vector chewed hungrily on fried chicken. 

"Delicious, huh, Espio?" Vector asked the chameleon. He only nodded to answer. 

"Yep…" Knuckles lifted a forked piece of steak. "This is--" He stopped when something shot the piece of meat off the fork, causing Knuckles to drop it to the floor. "What?!" 

The others stared down at the burned fork and then they heard people screaming, running out of the restaurant. Metal Sonic entered the building with Chaos Zero behind him. 

"Surrender!" Metal Sonic demanded and everyone jumped to their feet. 

"Yeah, stick 'em up, losers," Chaos threatened. "We got you trapped this time!" 

"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that!" Knuckles jumped into the fight. 

"Get ready to rumble!" Vector joined him with Metal-2 also. 

From underneath a table, Mario and his brother Luigi peeked out to see the fighters. "Oh, this is awful!" Mario exclaimed. "I wish we had a mushroom so we could help them!" 

"Oh, my! Our beautiful restaurant!!" Luigi screamed in fright at the mess. 

"Wait, Luigi! This is not our restaurant, remember?" Mario asked him.  

"Oh…yeah…" Then Luigi screamed, "Somebody's beautiful restaurant!!"

Mario gasped and hid himself, pulling Luigi down also to avoid the shots. 

"On guard, Captain Hook!" Chaos pointed his deadly hand at Tails, who was cornered. 

Knuckles punched Chaos away from the fox, sending the creature all the way to the salad bar. Chaos rolled and crashed into it, and then the girls ran, shocked at the sudden impact. 

"What was that?!" Rouge asked, keeping her eyes on the broken table.

Chaos stood up with a white tablecloth over himself. He tried to get it off. 

"It's Chaos!" Amy said, and then she removed the tablecloth, ready to hit him with her hammer. But when she saw Chaos, she screamed and ran because a huge watermelon was over him. 

"Turn on the lights!" Chaos requested with the watermelon covering his head and face. 

Metal-2 and Metal Sonic tackled each other into a table, crashing. Now with both of them underneath a tablecloth, Metal Sonic fired at him with his gun again. Metal-2 was hit hard and he fell backward, injured. Then Metal Sonic ripped the tablecloth off himself. 

"Now you see…" he said, backing away, and then Vector appeared behind him. 

"Now hear this!" Vector shouted, pointing his headphones at the robot, and then he turned the volume up so high, it blasted Metal Sonic out a window. Chaos blindly followed him to escape. 

"Oh no!" Tails ran to Metal-2 as fast as he could. He quickly removed the tablecloth and knelt down beside the fallen android. "Are you okay?" he asked, gently touching his shoulder. 

After a few moments of silence, Metal-2 opened his eyes. He was quiet. 

"Please get up!" Amy cried, kneeling next to him. 

Then Metal-2 sat up, allowing Amy and Tails to hug him. His chest was hurt, though. Metal-2 hugged them back, closing his eyes for a moment. "I'm fine now," he answered. 

"Is anyone else hurt?" Knuckles asked, looking around. 

"We're okay," Tikal replied with Rouge. 

"Everything's cool," Vector told Knuckles. "Looks like we showed them!" 

"We better find Sonic!" Tails said, standing up with Metal-2 and Amy. 

"Right," Knuckles said. "Come on!" He ran outside with the crew following him. 

When they were gone, Mario and Luigi came out from under the table. "…WE'RE ALIVE!"


	14. Paint Wars

**Chapter 14: Paint Wars**

Somewhere in New Orleans, Louisiana, the faithful RV rested in the park while Sonic and his friends enjoyed sights and sounds. Some were familiar sights and sounds, and others were quite new. There is nothing like seeing it for yourself and let the great outdoors tell. In the city, a blue blur quickly ran passed the trees with a black one following. It was Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehog. No relation, but the black hedgehog chased the blue one at great speed. 

"I'll get you, hedgehog!!" Shadow shouted at the runner ahead of him. 

"Whoa!" Sonic gasped, dodging Shadow's jump, and he fled to escape. 

Shadow turned and chased him harder. Both hedgehogs were running out of breath and the sun was going down. How long they were chasing each other; the world may never know... 

"But it's been a while!" Sonic said, running up a building. He stopped when he reached the top and he let his curious green eyes look over New Orleans. "What a cool city," he said, smiling. 

Just then, Shadow appeared behind him. "Aha! I have you now!" 

Sonic yelped and turned around. "Shadow!" A drop of sweat ran down his head when he saw not only Shadow, but Dr. Eggman also. The Egg Hornet hovered behind Shadow. "L-look!" 

"You can't fool me!" Shadow said, grinning. "Hey…you look pale. Am I really that scary?" 

"E-EGG--!" Sonic shook in his voice; unable to finish when Eggman aimed a gun at Shadow. 

"Calling me an egg, huh?" Shadow glared at the trembling blue hedgehog. 

"N-no, Sha-Shadow!" Sonic pointed. "Up there!" 

"Stupid hedgehog, just--" Shadow was cut off when a laser was fired just above his head. "RUN!" He ducked to avoid another hit and Sonic ran down the building with him. 

Eggman laughed and chased them. "I have both of them now! Such a great deal!" 

Sonic was running beside Shadow. "At least we're not chasing each other anymore!" 

"Doesn't matter," said Shadow, running. "I forgot why I was chasing you, anyway." 

"That's funny because I forgot why I was running from you." He jumped when Eggman fired again, barely missing them. He rolled until he hit a building wall and then he felt dizzy. 

"It's over for you, Sonic!" Eggman laughed as he approached in his ship.  

Shadow stood up after the sudden jump, and then he saw Sonic hurt and in trouble. He tried to think of an idea quickly and it was like an answer came to him when a salesman passed by, selling paint pistols for New Orleans tourists. The black hedgehog had an enlightening idea. 

"Excuse me," he said to stop the salesman. "How much are those?" he asked. 

"On sale for five bucks," he answered, offering him one with yellow paint.  

"Got pink?" Shadow asked him. 

"I sure do!" The salesman gladly offered it to Shadow, and he accepted it. 

"Perfect as always!" Shadow grinned, and then he ran toward the ship. 

Sonic held his head, trying to get up and then he saw the shadow of Eggman's ship. It was right above him now. Shadow hurried to the ship, stood behind it and aimed to shoot. 

"Doctor!" Shadow shouted, and when Eggman turned to look, Shadow fired the pistol. 

The Egg Hornet was hit and it had pink paint all over it. "OH NO!" Eggman gasped in pure horror. "M-my ship! It…it's PINK!" He quickly departed; leaving Sonic unharmed. 

Shadow silently watched him disappear from sight and Sonic stood up. 

"Wow, great idea, Shadow!" Sonic said to him, "Thanks a lot!" 

"If I had more paint in here, I would use it on you," Shadow teased. 

Sonic chuckled. "You wouldn't dare!" Just then, orange paint splashed onto his back.

"Maybe not, but I would dare any day!" Metal Sonic said, holding a paint pistol. 

"Anytime!" Chaos added, holding one pistol in each hand. "Howdy, partners!" 

"It's them!!" Sonic and Shadow said when they turned around. "AGAIN!" 

"Now is the time for you to submit and admit bitter defeat," Metal Sonic demanded. 

"Why? Paint can't hurt us. We'll fight back, right, Shadow?" Sonic asked him. 

"There's no time to play paint war games," Shadow said, arms crossing. 

"Oh, yeah?" Chaos asked and he fired sky blue paint at him. Shadow was shot. 

After a moment of silence, Shadow growled. "Of course you know this means WAR!" 

"Lookout!!" Sonic yelled, and he ran for cover when Metal Sonic fired again. 

"Get a load of this!" Chaos shot but missed when Metal slapped him.

"You fool! That's the Doctor's line, copyrighted, I think!" 

"Uh-oh!" Chaos gasped when he saw Sonic and Shadow with pistols behind the robot. 

"What now, you waterfall?" Metal asked angrily. 

"Behind you, Metal!" Chaos tried to warn him, pointing. 

"Take this!" Sonic fired and it hit Metal's head, coated it with bright yellow paint. 

After the hit, Metal lifted his glaring, glowing red eyes to Chaos, who was in front of him.

"I tried to warn you, Yellow!" Chaos shrieked and he ran from the angry robot. 

Metal Sonic turned around and faced the blue hedgehog while Shadow chased Chaos. "No more Mister Nice Robot. You, hedgehog, shall be nothing but ground beef!" 

Just then a bus drove by with a sign of cows on its side, which said: _Eat Mor Chikin!_

"How true!" Sonic said, and then he was attacked when Metal jumped at him. The hedgehog yelled and dropped his paint pistol, and then Metal threw him into a window of a store. 

As luck would have it, Knuckles the Echidna and the rest of the crew were in that store because the girls were shopping. Knuckles was sitting with Tails and the other boys, bored until he heard a crashing sound and screaming coming from the window in front of the store. 

"Sounds like trouble!" Knuckles said, standing up. "Come on!" He hurried to investigate. 

Tails followed after him. "Careful, everyone, it could be danger!" he cautioned. 

"It could be a party!" Vector added, running behind the fox.

"It could be a robbery!" Charmy said as he flew beside them. 

"It could be anything bad!" Espio said, also following them.  

"It could be a miracle!" Tikal told them, holding Freeway in her backpack.  

"It could be fireworks!" Freeway giggled, peeking outside. 

"It could be an explosion!" Metal-2 guessed, growing excited. 

"It could be worse!" Amy thought, running with her hammer ready. 

"Then, what is it?!" Rouge asked, tired of all the blind guesses. 

Knuckles stopped in front of the broken window where a pile of clothes laid on the floor. The pile of clothes began to move when the red echidna looked down at it. Someone was under there.

Everyone but Knuckles asked the question, "Is it?!"

Knuckles answered when he saw an orange hedgehog dizzily stand up with a hat and cape on, which was on the floor before. "Nah, it's just some crazy Superman fan," Knuckles replied. 

"Awww, raspberries," Metal-2 said with disappointment. 

Espio snorted. "There's one under every rock." 

"Watch out! He could be a spy," Charmy suspected. 

"Could be," Vector agreed. "If you are, you're dead meat, orangey!" 

"Wait a minute," said the hedgehog, removing the hat. "I can explain!" 

They all recognized the voice. "Sonic the Hedgehog!!" 

"Yeah, on the road!" He added, removing the cape, showing the paint. 

"Sonic…changed color!" Metal-2 said, surprised at the orange. 

"Cool!" Tails happily smiled to see his friend again. 

"What? No! That's my trick!" Espio said, a little angry now. "Well, I never!" 

"Calm down, everyone," said Knuckles. "Sonic, what on Earth happened to you?!" 

"I will answer that!" said a voice outside, and then Knuckles was painted green. 

"There, you see?!" Sonic asked, ducking to avoid another shot. "It's Metal and Chaos!" 

"How chaotic!" Vector said, and then he was suddenly hit with purple paint. 

"Vector!" Charmy called, and he dodged a shot of red paint, which hit Tails. 

"Yuck!" Tails said, shaking some of the wet paint off, and then Espio was covered with dots.

Growling, Espio turned to face a mirror. "Chicken pox!" He gasped with shock. 

"Get down!" Metal-2 pushed Rouge and Amy to the floor and Tikal hid herself. 

Taking a trashcan lid, Metal-2 jumped outside, lifting the shield in time to avoid getting hit. Metal Sonic was just outside the store, and he backed away slightly when Metal-2 appeared. 

"You know, there are better ways to become an artist, chump!" 

"That is not my intension," Metal Sonic said, approaching.  

"Then I'm afraid you have just been erased!" Metal-2 then threw the trashcan lid, hitting the pistol out of the robot's hand. The paint pistol flew high into the air and Tails caught it. 

"GET HIM!" Sonic shouted, and then all at once, everyone pounced Metal Sonic down. 

Shadow ran passed them, still chasing the panicking Chaos Zero. Both of them were almost every color of a rainbow. Shadow fired at the creature again, splashing yellow paint on him. 

Chaos stumbled, almost losing his balance, but he caught onto a street sign. He saw his reflection in a store window nearby. "Lemonade!" Chaos said, and then Shadow fired again. "Grape!"

Back to the street fight, Metal Sonic hardly stood a chance against the others. It was quite a sight to see the robot down on the street with Amy bashing him on the head with her hammer, Knuckles punching his back; Sonic pulling his arm and Metal-2 pulled the other. Vector was trying to twist the robot's leg, and Charmy jumped up and down on his head, each time after Amy hit him, and Espio drew funny faces on the big red mechanical shoes. Rouge was kicking the robot in his face while Tikal covered her eyes with Freeway hiding inside her backpack. Shadow ran passed them again, chasing the fleeing Chaos. Shadow cornered him in an alley. Trembling with great fear, Chaos watched helplessly with lost hope as Shadow approached him. 

"N-no, please," Chaos begged the black hedgehog. "Don't color me anymore! I-I love blue!" 

Shadow grinned. "Too bad," he said, pulling the dreadful trigger. 

Chaos gasped and covered his face, bracing for the hit, but instead, only a drop of green paint fell from the pistol. Shadow looked down at it, suddenly realizing that he was completely out of paint. Chaos peeked, blinking, and then he chuckled at what he saw. Shadow snorted and threw the pistol at the creature's head. It was a direct hit and so Chaos fell over, passed out. 

Back on the street, Tikal peeked to see what was happening. She could hardly see the others in all the dust the fight was causing, but she did see Dr. Eggman in his ship above them. 

"Everyone, look up!" Tails warned the crew. 

Before they all could react in time, a large robotic hand with claws captured Amy. She screamed and dropped her hammer, which hit Metal Sonic once more before hitting the ground. 

"Amy!" Sonic called, and all the others looked up to see the evil scientist. 

"Let her go or you'll be sorry!" Metal-2 yelled at him. 

"Yeah, sorry that I didn't do this sooner," said Eggman. "Give me back my robot first!" 

Amy screamed again when the robotic hand tightened its grip on her. "Sonic, help me!!" 

"All right!" Sonic agreed. "You got your robot back!" He took a step away from Metal. 

"Sure, what's left of him," Knuckles added quietly. 

"Good, then I can let this pink brat go." Eggman pressed a button, and then the hand let go of Amy. It was a dangerous fall, but Metal-2 caught her in time and she was unharmed. "Sayonara, Sonic the Road Hog. I have business to take care of, but I'll get you!" Then he left with Metal. 

"Hmm…what is he up to now?" Rouge wondered. 

"Who knows?" said a voice, and everyone turned to see a rainbow colored hedgehog. 

"Sh-Shadow?" Sonic guessed and the hedgehog nodded. "But…you…you're…" 

"Don't start with me!" Shadow said angrily. 

"Okay, okay," Sonic said. "I have an idea. Let's…" he stopped for a moment and they all listened carefully to hear what he had to say. "Let's take a shower." 

"Great," Rouge agreed. "Girls first!" She ran ahead of them with Tikal following. 

"But they're not even painted!" Vector said. 

Knuckles shrugged. "Well, at least we saved our vacation." 

Metal-2 landed, carrying Amy in his arms. "They're gone now." 

"Good work," said Sonic. He turned to face the Chaotix Team. "And thank you." 

"It was nothing," Vector said, waving a hand. "To me, it was kinda fun." 

"We didn't have this much excitement in a while," Charmy added, smiling. 

"You're welcome," Espio said quietly. 

"We would invite you in the RV, but there's not enough room," said Tails. 

"It's just as well," Vector said, shrugging. "But we'll meet again soon, I hope." 

"On the road, anything can happen." Sonic smiled and shook his hand. 

"Let's go," Espio called for his two friends to follow. 

"Wait!" Amy called, and then everyone stopped and looked at the pink hedgehog, surprised. "You can't go until you have one of my famous sandwiches!" 

"Oh, that's right!" Knuckles said, and then he asked her, "Um…what do you mean?" 

"She is inviting them to stay," Metal-2 explained. 

"Good idea!" Sonic nodded. "You guys come and have a bite to eat before you dash off." 

"I'll go!" Vector said with Charmy nodding with agreement. 

"No," Espio refused. "Thanks, anyway." He turned to leave. 

"Oh no, you don't," Vector said and he grabbed him. "Come on, Dot-to-dot." 

Then everyone laughed and even Espio let a smile win a fight. And so they left to wash the paint off. Sonic and all the others were soon clean and dry. They rested under a tree near the RV, watching the stars in the night sky. They enjoyed sandwiches and soda. Vector ate most of them and nearly ate Charmy's also with one big bite, but he quickly flew out of the crocodile's reach. Espio ate alone in the tree. Sonic and the others sat on the picnic blanket, enjoying the rest and the meal. Metal-2 only watched with Amy sitting beside him, finishing her soda. 

"That was very brave of you, Metal-2," Sonic said to the android after he heard the story. 

"You should've seen him, Sonic," Tails continued to tell. "Metal-2 was really great!" 

Metal-2 looked at Sonic and then at Tails. "Hmm…" He scratched his chin, leaving Sonic and Tails to blink with questions. "Metal-2 is a clunky name," he said after giving it some thought. 

"Clunky?" Amy asked him, "What do you mean?" 

"It just gets old to have a number after your name, I suppose," Sonic guessed. 

Metal-2 nodded. "You can call it that."  

"Okay, we'll call it that, but what will we call you now?" Tails asked him. 

"Metal," he replied. 

"Oh! How original," Knuckles smirked and then Rouge pinched him. "Ouch!"  

Sonic looked at the blue android. "Okay then…Metal," he used the new name. He rested a hand on Metal-2's shoulder and Tails did the same to his other shoulder. They smiled. 

Later, the Chaotix Team said goodbye and they left for home. Sonic and his crew watched until they were out of sight. When they were gone, they gathered together beside the RV. 

"Okay, now we have to decide where to go next," said Sonic. 

"I know! I know! Let's take a vote," Knuckles suggested. 

"All right, Tails, go get some paper and pencils," Sonic said, and the fox did so. When Tails returned, he gave everyone a piece of paper and a pencil. "Just write what you want to see next and then we'll know, okay?" Sonic asked, and they all nodded. They began to write. When it was complete, the pieces of paper were given to Rouge. "Okay, Rouge, let's hear it," said Sonic. 

Rouge looked at the papers and read what was written. "One vote for a forest, one vote for a rocket launch, one vote for a cave, one vote for a desert with treasure, and one vote for Hawaii…" 

"Now who wrote that one?" Sonic wondered, and Shadow rolled his eyes, looking away. 

"One vote for the rodeo, one for a beach, one for a long country road, one vote, we go home."

"That does it!" Sonic turned to the crew with the answer. "Team, we're going to Texas!" 

"Huh? Why Texas?" Knuckles asked. 

"Because it has everything that the votes said, and more," Tikal replied. 

"To the Lone Star State!" Tails pointed to the RV and everyone went inside. 

Not far away, Dr. Eggman watched them leave. "So, they're going to Texas, are they…?" 

"Look at me! I'm Kool-Aid!!" Chaos announced in the ship, surprised at all the colors.


	15. Monkey Business

**Chapter 15: Monkey Business **

East Texas soon came into their sight when the RV approached the state line. Shadow the Hedgehog was the driver when they arrived early that morning. It was not even dawn when they finally entered Texas, so the area was dark and quiet. Everyone except for Shadow and Metal-2 were asleep. Sonic and Tails were asleep on the sofa, the girls were sleeping in the back bedroom, and Knuckles took his place in the bed above the two front seats where Shadow and Metal-2 sat. Soon the sun began to rise, while Shadow kept driving, Metal-2 read the map. 

"Houston is not far away," Metal-2 quietly said to the driver. "We'll need to refuel."

"And refill the propane tank," Shadow added. "I know." 

The RV turned to cross a bridge and that is when it happened. Without any warning, a large truck drove across the bridge at the same time, illegally speeding. It was not slowing down. 

"Shadow!" Metal-2 called, but before he could even finish the name, the rearview mirror was hit. 

Shadow turned away from the truck as far as safety would allow it and the mirror hit his head. The RV stopped, but the truck disappeared in the morning fog. Sonic and Tails fell off the sofa, tangled in a blanket, the crash woke up the girls, and Knuckles punched at his pillow, still asleep. 

"Shadow! Metal!" Sonic called as he climbed out of the blanket to see.  

"What happened?" Tails sleepily asked, peeking out of the blanket. 

"It was a hit and run," Metal-2 answered. "But the RV was not the only one hit." 

Sonic hurried to the driver seat and he saw Shadow with an injured head. "Shadow!" 

The black hedgehog let go of the steering wheel and Sonic placed his hand over the wound to stop the bleeding. Shadow closed his eyes and then Sonic silently blamed himself. 

"Metal, get the first aid kit, hurry!" Tails requested and Metal-2 quickly found it. 

"Those thoughtless drunk drivers!" Sonic said to himself as he opened the kit. 

"Does he need a doctor?" Tails asked, concerned. 

"No, the injury is not too serious, luckily," Metal-2 replied after scanning the hedgehog. 

"He'll be fine," Sonic assured him. "Come on and rest, Shadow. I'll drive." 

"All right," Shadow agreed, and he sat on the sofa with Metal-2. 

Tails sat in the passenger chair to help Sonic in the driving. He looked at the broken window and then at the mirror. "We should get these things fixed as soon as possible," he told him. 

"Right," said Sonic. "We're not far from Houston, so I guess that'll be the place." 

"Hey, is everything all right out there?" Rouge asked from the room in the back. 

"It's fine now, Rouge," Sonic answered, driving the RV. "Everything's okay." 

"And I hope it stays that way," Tails said quietly, watching the road ahead. 

= = = = = 

Location: Houston, Texas… 

A city is just what the crew was looking for, and so they came to a large city called Houston. Everything seemed to be big in Texas with endless things to see. The crew watched the windows to get a nice view of the buildings. Amy and Tikal took photographs with a camera. Shadow was feeling much better now and his wound was almost healed completely. Rouge kept an eye on him, anyway. Metal-2 and Knuckles were challenging each other in a chess game with Freeway watching, and the driver, Sonic the Hedgehog could hardly blink at the city he saw. It was huge. 

"Sonic, how come they say everything is big in Texas?" Tails asked. 

Sonic answered while he drove the RV into the city. "Well, because it's true. I hear they have some pretty good-sized chilidogs. They super-size things, and--"

Tails gasped. "Look out for that monster truck!!" He pointed out the window. 

"Hold on!!" Sonic warned the others, and he dashed to make a turn. 

The chess pieces were set flying off the game board when the turn was made. "Oh, great," Knuckles growled. "Just when I was close to beating you, this has to happen!" 

Metal-2 chuckled and Amy ran up to the two front seats. "What is it?!" she asked. 

Tails quickly looked in the rearview mirror. He saw the big black truck with a familiar driver. "It's Doctor Eggman," Tails told the driver. "He's following us!" 

"And I doubt he wants to join a tour," Shadow said. 

Just then, they were hit in the back. Sonic turned down another street to avoid another hit, picking up speed also. Tails looked in the mirror and they were still being followed. 

"We gotta stop him!" Sonic said, standing. "Metal, Rouge, let's go!" 

Shadow stood up. "I'm coming, too." 

Silent, Sonic only nodded with a slight smile. He was not going to try and stop him. 

"Can I drive?" Tails asked, excitedly holding the steering wheel. 

"No, Knuckles will take care of that. Let's move it!" Then Sonic left through a window with Shadow, Rouge and Metal-2 following. Tails turned to Knuckles, offering the steering wheel. 

"There's a small problem," Knuckles said, almost choking. 

"What is it?" Amy and Tails asked him. 

Sweating and trembling, Knuckles replied in a whisper. "I-I don't have a driver's license." 

"WHAT?!" Amy, Tails, Tikal, and even Freeway gasped. 

"Hey, I've been guarding a giant emerald on an island for years. No need to drive!" 

"There's a need NOW!" Amy screamed, pulling her hammer out. 

"Keep that thing away from me!" Knuckles said it so quickly; he was hardly understood. 

"Wait!" Tails ended the war before it began. "I'll drive! Knuckles, you're the co-pilot." 

Tikal sighed with relief when the two settled down in the front seats to control the moving RV. Amy held on to the driver's chair for support and Freeway stayed close to Tikal for protection. Outside, Sonic leaped from the RV to the driving truck, landing on top of it. 

"That was too easy," Shadow said after he landed. 

"Don't press your luck," Rouge warned. "Look!" She pointed ahead. The others looked ahead of them and there was Chaos Zero. He was not in a very friendly mood that day. 

"I'll make you sorry for hurting my pal Metal!" Chaos said to them angrily. 

Sonic and those with him stood to fight. "And you'll regret you tried!" 

Chaos growled. "You will submit to me right now, or things will get very, very ugly!" 

Sonic gasped. "Everyone, get down!" He fell flat on his tummy and so did the others. 

Chaos blinked, surprised, and he stood tall. "Well, now that's better…" 

Suddenly his head was hit in the back because the RV and the truck were driving under a low bridge. Sonic and the others stayed down, but Chaos was left on the bridge with a headache. 

"He's gone," Rouge said, looking back while holding on. "We can get up now." 

"I wonder what ever become of his brain," Metal-2 said as he stood up. 

"Did he even have one?" Shadow asked, standing also. 

"It's a mystery." Sonic shrugged and then he moved toward the front of the truck. 

"Knuckles is sure a good driver," Rouge commented as she followed.  

"How can we stop this truck safely?" Sonic tried to think of a way. 

Metal-2 stepped ahead of the blue hedgehog and said, "Terminate the driver!"  

"What? NO!" Sonic gripped the android's arm. "Metal, stop!" 

"He's been following us for so long. He must come to his end!" He shook Sonic off and then Shadow punched Metal-2 in the face. He stood still for a moment, silent. 

"Snap out of it!" Shadow shouted, "Control yourself, or you'll be worse than them!" 

Rouge stood between them. "Hey, hey," she said, "Come on, let's stop Eggman together."

"Right," Sonic agreed. "Here's the plan…" He whispered it to them. 

Inside the truck with his theme song heard playing from the CD player, Eggman laughed when he saw the RV ahead. "Splendid! Now I can finish it once and for all!" The truck began to move faster, heading strait for the RV and Tails had nowhere to turn. 

"Yoo-hoo!" said a voice, and Eggman turned to look. It was…

"Sonic the Hedgehog?!" Eggman gasped, quite shocked. "It's you! But how?" 

Sitting on the passenger seat, Sonic grinned. "That's a secret." He winked. 

"Well, your death won't be a secret, hedgehog!" Eggman reached out to him, but then from behind, Shadow blindfolded him with a cloth. "Oh no! I can't see the road!" Eggman panicked.  

"Take it, Shadow, hurry!" Sonic said, keeping Eggman away from the steering wheel.  

Shadow turned the truck to get it off the road. Metal-2 and Rouge were still outside. The bat placed a small box underneath the truck and then Metal-2 helped her back up. 

"Okay, your turn," she said, and Metal-2 nodded, aiming for the tires.  

Metal-2 fired and the tires exploded. Shadow almost lost control of the truck, but he made it stop in time. Safely off the road, the truck rested with all of its tires, flat. 

"Let's get outta here!" Sonic called, and he leaped outside with Shadow. 

Rouge and Metal-2 flew off the truck, leaving it behind. Eggman angrily removed the blindfold, looking around. The hedgehogs were gone. Before he could guess it was all possibly a nightmare, an explosion was heard under the truck. After the burst, the truck was covered with bubblegum. 

"I'll get that road hog!" Eggman promised himself in the gum-covered truck. 

Behind the truck, Chaos woke up on the low bridge. "Where…am…I?" 

= = = = = 

Later… 

"We're in Houston!" Sonic announced when they returned to the RV.

"Yeah, and now that things are clear again, we can enjoy the city," said Amy. 

"Knuckles, you drove so well. Why don't you take us in?" Sonic asked, grinning. 

Knuckles blushed, but quickly hid it. "No thanks, I had enough for one day." He winked at Tails and the fox returned the sign. They switched places before Sonic returned. 

"Well, if you insist…" Sonic happily took the steering wheel. 

"Sonic?" Metal-2 said quietly behind him. 

"Yeah?" Sonic turned to see him, listening. 

"Sorry about that. I don't know what got into me," he said. 

"It's all right," Sonic assured him. "I think I understand, but killing is not our way." 

"That bubblegum bomb will keep him busy for a while," Rouge chuckled. 

"So, while he sticks around back there, let's get going," said Tails. 

"Okay, guys, let's take a look." Sonic stepped outside with the crew following. 

"Hey!" Amy called when everyone was outside.

"What is it now?" Shadow asked, sighing. 

"It's picture time!" Amy pointed her camera at them. "Smile, everyone, and say, Sega!" 

Everyone hurried into a pose for the picture. Sonic and Shadow were doing the bunny ears sign to each other, Tails waved with a friendly smile, and Tikal held Freeway in her arms, ready and waiting. Rouge held a jewel and Knuckles pointed his fist at the camera while Metal-2 rested a hand on Tails' head, smiling. There was a Houston City scene in the background. 

"SEGA!" They said, smiling, and then Amy took a photo of them with the city. 

Amy smiled as she lowered the camera down. It was a neat picture taken and she still had more film for the city ahead. Suddenly she felt something tugging at the camera. She gasped when she looked down. A little monkey with a red vest and hat grabbed the camera and ran away. 

"My camera!!" Amy shouted, "Come back here with it!" She chased after the monkey. 

Sonic and the others blinked, watching. "After it!" Sonic pointed the way. 

"The crazy monkey or the pink hedgehog?" Shadow asked, and Sonic glared at him. 

"No time for this monkey business," Rouge said, stopping them. "Let's go get it!" 

"That way!" Metal-2 pointed toward a building where the monkey was running. 

Sonic and the others chased after it with Amy in the lead. She stopped when there was a red light, but the monkey kept running with the camera, crossing the dangerous street. 

"No, stop!" Amy called out, unable to move. 

Sonic and the others arrived and they stopped also. It was a busy street with many cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and trucks crossing at that time of day. 

"We have to look both ways before crossing," Knuckles reminded them. 

"There are cars everywhere!" Tikal exclaimed, out of breath. 

"I could fly after it," Metal-2 said, but Sonic shook his head. 

"No way! If people see a flying android hedgehog, it'll cause wrecks all over the place!" 

"Turn green, already!" Tails said to the crossing sign.  

Amy watched the little monkey barely dodge the cars and trucks as it crossed the street. Sonic and the crew watched also, closing their eyes each time the monkey barely escaped a hit. Thankfully, he made it to the other side unharmed and Sonic saw him enter a hotel building. 

"There he goes!" Knuckles pointed at the tall building. 

Finally the light turned green for them to cross and when it did, they all ran for the hotel, after looking both ways, of course. The monkey saw them coming inside, and so he quickly leaped for an elevator. Sonic and the crew stepped inside the hotel, looking around for any signs. 

"How may I help you?" the manager asked the seeking crew. 

"Maybe you can help," Shadow said to him. "We're looking for a little Big Foot." 

"Excuse me? What?" said the man, confused. 

"A monkey with a camera," Amy told the man. "MY best camera!" 

The manager chuckled. "There is no monkey in this hotel," he said. 

Suddenly they heard a woman scream from the elevator. "A monkey!!" 

Sonic jumped and landed on the manager's head to see through the crowds of people. He saw the kitten-sized monkey run inside the elevator after the frightened people left it empty. 

"That's it! Let's go!" Sonic leaped off and ran through the crowd. 

The crew followed the blue hedgehog; running passed the manager so he was sent spinning in circles. Tikal was last in line and she helped him stop spinning before running again. The monkey pressed a button and he waved his hand as the door closed. He was getting away again. 

"STOP!" Sonic pressed his hands against the closed door. "Open this door!" He knocked. 

"We're too late," said Tails. "But wait, we can take the stairs!" 

"Up to the stairs!" Sonic pointed and he ran for them. 

And so Sonic and the crew ran up the stairs, turning and climbing higher to reach the top. Sonic rolled into a ball and forced the door open. He landed on the rooftop of the hotel. He looked around and when he saw the city from there, he almost forgot about the missing camera. 

"Whoa," said Tails when he made it to the top. "What a view! We're so high up!" 

"Oh, it's lovely," Tikal said with Freeway nodding. 

"Got jewels?" Rouge asked when she stepped onto the roof. 

"No," Knuckles answered, turning to her. "But I've got the foil wrapper of my gum." 

"How pathetic." Shadow shook his head. 

Metal-2 shrugged and then he asked, "Have we forgotten something?"  

Amy gasped, remembering. "My camera!" 

Everyone turned to face the little one they were chasing. "THE MONKEY!" They said. 

The monkey smiled and gave the camera back to Amy and she took it. 

"Oh," she said, surprised. "Thanks. So, you led us here to see this place, huh?" 

The monkey nodded his head to answer, yes. 

"That was very nice of you, but next time, just ask." Amy smiled. She lifted her camera and took a picture of the monkey. "There," she said. "That way we can always remember this." 

"Oh, joy," Knuckles sighed. 

"You gotta look at the bright side, Knuckles," said Sonic. "Look, we have the best view of the city and a little adventure on the side."

"Yeah, a little hairy adventure," Tails added, chuckling. 

"I told you," Rouge reminded the crew. "It's monkey business." 

After viewing the city and taking pictures there, Sonic and the crew departed after saying goodbye to the monkey that loved tourists. They refilled the RV and the propane tank was also filled in Houston. The mirror was repaired and at sunset, they left the city to move on.


	16. Cream And Cheese

**Chapter 16: Cream And Cheese **

It was all a blur and so unclear at first, but Metal Sonic somehow reactivated. Awake, he sat up and looked around the small room as he tried to remember what happened. Suddenly it all came back to him. Last thing he remembered, he was in New Orleans. He recalled the paint, and…

"Ugh…what a night!" He shook his head. 

Chaos snapped awake on his chair nearby the table. "Oh, Metal, you're alive!!" 

"GAH!" Metal reached for the nearest object, which was a toolbox, and threw it. 

Chaos was hit on the head and fell over. Metal stood up, making sure he was fully repaired. Everything seemed to be working all right again. He thought it was strange that he was in a tree house in Houston, Texas. Confused, Metal turned to the doorway and there was Silver Sonic on a chair. He was a very old robot now, but he helped Metal repair himself in his secret tree house. 

"Where did they go?" Metal asked about the RV crew. 

"Heading west," Silver replied. "Now that you're fully repaired after that tackle in New Orleans, the Doctor expects you to find them. I hear he's building a new weapon to use on them." 

"Hmm…" Metal thought quietly and then he said, "Aha! They must be heading for Austin!" 

Silver nodded. "Good guess, my boy! You better hurry along. I'm too old to be chasing heroes."

Chaos sat up, rubbing his head. "Ouch! Yeah, and we better find the real Sonic." 

"I AM THE REAL SONIC!" Metal thundered and stormed outside, flying for Austin. 

"Wait up, Met!" Chaos went out after him. 

Silver returned to rocking in his chair. "We had some great gaming back in my day…" 

= = = = = 

Location: Austin, Texas… 

Driving in the nice, sunny afternoon, the traveling RV came to the city called Austin. The first thing Sonic noticed was the heavy, noisy traffic. Not all the drivers there were friendly and not everyone obeyed the road signs, which is very dangerous, and that can lead to total chaos.  

"We don't need anymore chaos," Sonic said to his passengers. "Something will go right!" 

"I agree," Shadow said quietly, finishing a cup of coffee. "…I hope." 

"Yeah, and the last thing we need is a wreck!" Knuckles nodded. 

Tails closed his laptop, sighing. "One more red light, and I'll scream!"

Amy blinked. "Calm down, Tails. I'm sure they'll be fun things to see."

"Indeed," Metal-2 said. "And besides, we're here to tour; not to squirm."

"Don't tell me where you heard that one," Tikal said, wide-eyed. 

Freeway giggled. "We're in a concrete forest again." She watched the window. 

"Well, I'm at chapter sixteen, so it can't get any better," said Rouge, reading a book. 

"Hey, Rouge, put that down and see the city." Knuckles pointed to the window.

"I'll see when we stop." And Rouge kept reading. 

Tails held his head, sitting on the sofa. He was not exactly feeling well that day. When he closed his eyes, he felt a hand rest on his head. He did not have to look to see the comforter.  

"Are you all right, Tails?" Metal-2 asked him, "You're not getting sick, are you?" 

"No…" Tails opened his eyes, looking up at him. "No, Metal, I'm okay." 

"I think he's just hungry," Amy said. "Here, let me see what I can make." She got up from her chair and walked over to the small closet. When she opened it, she blinked and looked inside. "What? There's nothing here!" She exclaimed, "SONIC?!" And she slammed the door. 

Everyone trembled, especially Sonic when she shouted like that.  

"Um…" Sonic began to sweat while driving. "Did you check the icebox?" 

"No, but I will!" Amy growled and turned to open it. 

"Please, let there be something in there," Tikal quietly wished. 

Amy opened the icebox and looked inside. Rouge silently turned a page of her book while Knuckles watched Amy search for something and Metal-2 tried to help Tails feel a little better. Shadow was trying to fold a map and Sonic kept driving while Freeway watched a window with curiosity. Tikal walked to be next to Amy when the pink hedgehog finally pulled something out. 

"I found it!" She announced to the entire crew. 

"Great! What is it?" Tikal asked. 

"Well, it's…" Amy looked at the two items in her hands. "It's cream and cheese." 

"Ah! That's insane!" Knuckles exclaimed, "This will make us nothing!" 

"But I always thought cream cheese made nice frosting," said Rouge.  

"Frosting, yes, but we don't have a cake mix," Tikal said. 

Tails closed his eyes again. "How did this happen?" 

Metal-2 blinked. "Unknown, Tails, but I have a theory that a hedgehog made a midnight snack." 

"Wait a minute!" Sonic said, and everyone except for Shadow looked at him. "Let's shop!" 

"Well, duh," Knuckles sighed. He shook his head and Rouge turned another page. 

"But first…" Sonic made a turn. "I have an idea. You'll all like it." He winked. 

"Oh, I hate it when you get ideas," Shadow groaned, still battling with the map. 

Sonic parked the RV in the shade. "Trust me, Shadow." He turned off the engine. 

Shadow shook his head. "And I hate it when you say that."

"Where are we?" Knuckles asked, walking passed the shocked Amy and Tikal as they stared down at the cream and cheese as if trying to think of what to cook out of it. 

"We're in an Austin parking lot," Sonic answered, turning to the others. "After that long drive, I think we should stop here for a while before going shopping." Then he unbuckled. 

"What's that over there?" Amy pointed to a building nearby, which was a donut shop and it had a strange name. "Krispy Kream…?" Amy read the name. "They spelled it wrong!" 

"It's meant to be called that," Sonic told her. "I've heard of them before." 

"You did? From where?" Knuckles asked him. 

"Not from where, but from who. I heard of them from a cop," Sonic replied. 

"I should have guessed," said Rouge. "Are we going in or what?" 

"Yeah, why not?" Sonic said, standing. "We can all go together. Come on, Shadow." 

"I'm not going," Shadow said from underneath the map. "I'm not interested in donuts."

"But Shadow, where there's donuts, there's coffee," Sonic said. 

Then at amazing speed, Shadow folded up the map, correctly, in fact. "Let's go!" 

"Okay, everyone, let's move out!" Sonic jumped outside through the driver's side door. 

"Wait up!" Knuckles called and he opened the exit door for the others to get out. 

Tikal took the confused Amy by the hand and led her out with Freeway following. Tails went out after them with Metal-2 at his side, and then Knuckles hopped outside with Rouge. Shadow was the last to leave and he locked the door after shutting it safely. Sonic raced Shadow to the door. They discovered that there were two doors, so they each opened one for the others. 

"I am not that wide, thank you!" Amy said, stepping inside. 

Knuckles chuckled and then Rouge pinched him. "Ouch! Who keeps doing that?!"

Rouge froze and then she pointed down at Freeway. "Don't get angry." 

"Oh, forget it." Knuckles shrugged it off and entered the building with the bat following. 

Tikal carried Freeway inside, following after Tails and Metal-2, and once everyone was inside, the two hedgehogs that were holding the doors opened, faced each other. 

"You first!" They both said. 

"Okay, we'll both go," Sonic said. "Ready? One…two…three." Sonic stepped inside and then he looked behind himself to see if Shadow was there, but he was not. "Shadow? Where are you?" 

"Over here," Shadow said from a table, sitting comfortably on a chair, grinning.  

Sonic just shook his head and left to be with Tails and Metal-2 at another table. Amy, Tikal and Rouge sat at a table near the countertop, looking at the menu. Amy was still trying to think of something to make out of cream and cheese back in the RV, but it troubled her. Sonic looked over at Tails and was about to ask him if he was all right, but then another voice was heard. 

"Excuse me, Mr. Hedgehog?" asked a female voice. 

"Yes?" Sonic and Shadow responded and then glared at each other. 

"I hope you recognize me," said the voice, and then Sonic faced her. 

"Oh, it's you!" Sonic stood up to see Vanilla Rabbit. "Of course I remember you!"  

"Wonderful," said Vanilla. "I saw your RV and followed it here. I'm so glad you stopped." 

"It's good to see you again, Mrs. Rabbit," Sonic said, smiling. "Anything new?" 

"Well, I do have a favor to ask if that is all right."

Sonic nodded. "Just name it."

"My husband and I have business to attend, and we don't think it will be easy to have our daughter come along with us. So, I would like to ask, could Cream go with you?"

"Yeah, that would be great!" Sonic said, "We'll be happy to have her around to catch up." 

"Thank you so much. We won't be long, I promise." 

"No, take your time. In fact, why don't you let Cream join us in our vacation?" 

"That would be a vacation for my husband and I if that's possible." 

"It is possible," Sonic assured her. "She won't be any trouble." 

"I don't know how to thank you, but I accept the kind offer." Vanilla then shook his hand. 

"Where is Cream, anyway?" Tails asked. 

Vanilla looked at her right side, but Cream was now behind her. "She's a little shy." Then Vanilla stepped aside to reveal a young girl rabbit in an orange dress holding a little chao in her arms. 

"Hi, Cream!" Sonic greeted her happily, waving. 

Cream shyly smiled when she recognized him. "Hello, Mr. Sonic." 

"Listen, Cream," Vanilla said to her daughter. "You'll be staying with him until your father and I return. We'll be back as soon as we can. Be a good girl and remember your manners." 

"I will, Mommy," Cream promised. They embraced, smiling. 

"See you soon, darling Cream, and thank you again, Mr. Hedgehog. I have to go now."  

"See ya, and don't worry. We'll take extra good care of her." Sonic waved his hand and after she said goodbye, Vanilla left the building to be on her way to the airport. 

"Welcome aboard, Cream," said Knuckles. "I'm sure you'll like it in the RV." 

"What is a RV?" Cream asked curiously. 

"It's a home on wheels, basically," Tails told her. "We just stopped here to rest." 

"You hear that, Shadow? Cream is going to stay with us," Sonic told him. 

"I like cream…in my coffee," Shadow smirked as he stirred his drink. 

"No, not that cream!" Sonic corrected him. "I meant the rabbit." He pointed. 

"Oh…" Shadow said after looking. "Well, it doesn't look like she eats a lot." 

"Is Miss Amy here?" Cream asked Tails. "Chao!" said Cheese. 

"Yeah, she's over there with Tikal and Rouge." Tails pointed. 

"Thank you. Excuse me, I would like to go see her." Then Cream walked away. 

Metal-2 sat quietly in the back, unseen by the young rabbit. "Such a nice girl." 

"Yeah, she never forgets her manners," Knuckles told him a little about her. 

Cream walked toward the table where the girls were eating. Rouge's eyes widened with surprise when she saw the rabbit coming with her chao. She swallowed a bite of her donut and then spoke. 

"Look, it's Cream and Cheese!" Rouge announced to the others with her. 

Amy shut her eyes tightly. "I told you before, I don't know any recipes for them!" 

Cream stopped, hugging Cheese tighter. "Oh, Miss Amy, please don't be angry." 

Amy blinked and turned. "Cream!" She jumped to her feet. "Hi! I didn't see you. Sorry." 

"It's okay," Cream said. "My Mom said I will be staying with you for a while." 

"Really? That sounds good!" Tikal smiled. "Welcome." 

"Is your mother here?" Rouge asked. 

"No, she just left," answered Cream. 

"Well, don't just stand there," Amy said. "Come join us for some donuts." 

"Thank you." And then Cream sat down with Amy.  

Sonic looked at his wristwatch. "Wow, look at the time," he said. "We gotta get going." 

"Okay." Tails finished and stood up; feeling much better after a rest. 

"Come on, girls, Sonic says we have to go now," Knuckles called. 

"We're coming," said Tikal, and she stood up with Rouge. 

"Time to be on the road again," Amy said to the new passenger.  

Cream nodded and stood up, following Amy outside with Cheese. Sonic stepped outside last and raced back to the RV, but Shadow was already in the driver's seat with the keys. 

"This just isn't your day," Shadow said to him as the window rolled up to close. 

Knuckles opened the side door for the crew. "Everyone, aboard!"

Tikal and Rouge stepped inside, and Cream was amazed at the RV. She walked toward it with Cheese flying at her side. Suddenly she tripped over a rock that she failed to notice in time, and she fell. Amy turned back for her, but Metal-2 reached the rabbit first and lifted her up. 

"Are you injured?" Metal-2 asked her when she was on her feet again. 

Cream brushed the dust off her dress, unharmed. "No, I'm fi-HELP!!" She screamed when she saw her helper, which was someone she did not expect. Stunned and confused, Metal-2 let her go. 

"What's wrong, Cream?" Amy asked, and the rabbit backed away from the blue android. 

"Don't you see him?! It's Metal Sonic!" Cream was afraid. 

Tails ran to her side and tried to explain. "It's okay, Cream. He's a friend." 

"How can you be sure?" Cream asked him, shaking. 

Tails left her side and stood with Metal-2. "See? He's a friend. Don't be scared." 

"I did not mean to frighten you," said Metal-2. "I'm sorry, but I saw you fall down." 

Blinking, Cream took a step toward him. "Oh, that's all right. If you're a friend of Tails…"

"I am," Metal-2 said, nodding. "They call me Metal, and you must be Cream." 

"Yes," Cream said. "I'm very glad to meet you, Mr. Metal. Thank you." She smiled. 

"You're welcome." And Metal-2 smiled back, happy that she was no longer afraid. 

"Hey, let's go or we'll be late," Amy said and entered the RV. 

"This way, Cream." Tails led her to the step. "Just step on here and you can go in." 

Cream placed her foot on the step, holding onto the doorframe, and then she stepped inside with Cheese sitting on her head. "I did it!" Cream cheered happily. The others clapped their hands. 

"You did great for a first try, Cream," Amy praised, and Tails entered with Metal-2.

Knuckles climbed inside and then closed the door. "Okay, Shadow, we're all here!" 

Shadow turned on the engine while Sonic buckled up in the front passenger chair. Cream sat down on the sofa to watch from a window. Metal-2 was already sitting there with Amy. Tails opened his laptop to do some reading and Knuckles sat down with Tikal. Rouge returned to her book, and the baby deer Freeway took a nap on her lap. When the RV began to move, everything inside seemed to shake and it scared Cream enough to hug Metal-2 for protection. Silent, Metal-2 wrapped an arm around her gently to make sure she would not fall or be scared. 

"Where are we going?" Cream asked. 

"Well, we're in need of supplies, so we'll do some shopping," Amy replied. 

"Then we'll head out for another stop in our adventure," said Tails. 

"Adventure?" Cream wondered, "You really have adventures in here?" 

Knuckles nodded. "Yeah, we really do, and sometimes outside, too. It's not always easy."

"Yes, take Freeway for example," Tikal said, pointing to the fawn. "We found her on the side of a road. We took care of her since then because her mother is…" she stopped. 

Cream blinked her eyes. "Oh, how awful. I hope Freeway will be all right." 

Tails smiled. "Don't worry, she's fine now, and she loves to travel. I hope you'll like it, too."

"As long as we're all together, I think I'll love it," Cream said happily. 

"You have to expect the unexpected when we're on the road together," said Sonic. 

Not long after they picked up their two new and welcomed passengers, the RV crew shopped at Wal-Mart for their needs. Cream thought of this as a camping life, but it was a little different to be in a RV instead of a tent. Cheese seemed to like it also. After they restocked on supplies, the RV traveled again, moving steadily forward out of Austin. They still had a long way to go.


	17. Watermelon Thump

**Chapter 17: Watermelon Thump**

One foggy morning, not very long after they left Austin, the RV with the traveling Sonic crew inside came to a small town that was quiet and peaceful. It stopped on the side of a calm road with some train tracks nearby. It was almost time for their breakfast. Cream was snuggled under a blanket with Cheese on the bed. Her dream came to an end when Amy shook her awake. The young rabbit blinked sleepily, suddenly remembering that she was not at home. 

"Time to wake up," said Amy with a bright smile. "Come on, breakfast will be ready soon." 

"Okay, I'm up," Cream said and yawned as she sat up, kicking the blanket away. 

Up front, Sonic and Shadow were sitting down, each hedgehog holding a cup.

"Now, I dare you to drink black coffee!" Shadow challenged the blue one. 

"What? Black?" Sonic said, "I can't do that. I need cream and sugar!" 

"Here I am!" Cream announced, stepping out of the bedroom. 

"Good morning, Cream," Metal-2 greeted her. "Have a chair." 

"Thank you, and good morning to you all." And she sat down to wait. 

Tails licked his lips. "What are we having for breakfast? I'm starving!" 

At the small stove, believe it or not, Knuckles was cooking something. "Pancake surprise!" 

"Knuckles!!" Everyone but the red echidna himself exclaimed. 

Knuckles flipped the pancakes. "They'll be ready in a minute. Be patient." 

"I can't wait," said Rouge, not meaning it. 

Tikal poured a glass of orange juice for Tails and Cream while they waited. Sonic drank the black coffee, which tasted like mud water in a way, but Shadow drank his as if it was a delight. 

"No wonder he's dark," Sonic said to himself. 

After a breakfast of pancakes, everyone stepped outside to see the outdoors. 

"Wow, look at the trees," said Cream. "They're really big and green here!" 

"Of course, everything is big in Texas, so what could possibly--" 

"Don't ask, Sonic!!" Everyone except the amazed Cream shouted. 

Just then, a long train rushed passed them; making loud noises and Cream tried to cover her ears. When the train was gone, they saw a sign, which said…

"Welcome to Luling," Sonic read the sign out loud. "So, that's where we are!" 

"Sure, we landed in a grease spot," Shadow said. "What a revelation!" 

"Let's have a look," said Tikal. "Maybe we'll find something." 

"Like what?" Amy asked.

"Something big," Tails replied. 

Knuckles blinked his eyes. "After a big breakfast like that, I could use the running." 

"Okay, okay," Sonic said. "We'll stay for a little while." 

"Hey," said Rouge, looking around. "Where's Cream?" 

"She was standing here next to me." Knuckles pointed. "But now she's gone." 

"Have no fear," Metal-2 said, turning away. "She's right over there." And the others turned to see that it was true. Cream was looking at something with Cheese and Freeway close beside her. 

"Cream!" Amy called, running to her and stopped when she was close. "What are you doing?"

"I was looking for something big like they said," she answered. 

"Oh? And did you find anything?" Tikal asked her. 

Cream nodded and pointed to a large, tall water tank, which looked like a huge watermelon. 

"Wh-what in the world is that?!" Knuckles asked with widening eyes. 

"Looks like a watermelon," Rouge answered, coming to his side. 

"A watermelon for who?" Sonic wondered. 

Tails shrugged and took a guess. "For someone who really likes 'em." 

Shadow crossed his arms, watching them from nearby the RV. "Too big." 

"Could we please have a closer look, Mr. Sonic?" Cream asked, turning to see him. 

"Yeah, let's go see what's over there." And the blue hedgehog ran. 

They began their journey to the watermelon tank, but they stopped when they reached downtown, which was small. They crossed the train tracks after making sure it was safe to do so, and then they found themselves in the middle of a crowd. People were gathering together in Luling for something Sonic never heard of. Curious, the crew wanted to discover the reason. 

"Hey!" Sonic called, trying to get someone to stop. "What's going on here?"  

"Why, don't you know?" asked a man. "It's time for the Watermelon Thump!" 

The Sonic crew blinked and looked at each other. "Watermelon Thump?" 

"Yes, it only happens once a year. We have shows, rides and contests, music and everyone has a happy time. You must be tourists and you luckily came at the right time."

"Oh, great," Knuckles said. "If there's a contest for hunting treasure, I'll win!" 

"Don't bet on it." Rouge smiled and Cream looked toward the rides. 

"Let's go on a ride together, Sonic. What do you say?" Amy smiled at him. 

"I say, I think I'll go find a candy apple!" And he ran to find one. 

Tails felt someone tap on his shoulder and it was Cream. "What is it?" 

"Could we go ride the merry-go-round, please?" She pointed to it. 

"Oh…sure." Tails led her and Cheese to the ride and Metal-2 followed them. 

While Amy ran off to find Sonic, Tikal and Rouge left to look around with Freeway following the two young ladies. Shadow and Knuckles read a sign that told visitors of the town. When their turn came, Tails helped Cream climb onto one of the merry-go-round horses. 

"Hold on, Cream. You got it?" He asked. 

Cream nodded. "Yes." And Cheese sat with her, saying, "Chao," excitedly. 

Then Tails sat down on another, holding on. Metal-2 watched as the ride began. The horses went around and around with young merry riders. Cream was happily giggling as she passed Metal-2, waving her hand. Metal-2 waved back and then he looked around. He wondered where Amy was. He left the ride to find her. He walked passed Rouge, Tikal and Freeway, who were enjoying cotton candy. Metal-2 never saw them eat it before and so he watched with wonder. 

"What are you eating?" Metal-2 asked them. "It looks like colored cotton." 

Rouge laughed. "It's cotton candy, silly!" 

"It only looks like cotton, but it can be eaten," Tikal told him. 

"Looks like a fluffy pillow to me, but interesting," said Metal-2, watching Freeway eating. 

"Here." Tikal gave him one of the paper cones that held the candy. "This one is for Amy." 

Metal-2 took it. "I will find her. Thank you." He hugged the colorful cotton and left. 

Knuckles and Shadow watched Metal-2 walk passed them with the pink cotton candy. 

"I-I'm seeing things. That does it!" said Shadow. "I'm cutting back on coffee."  

"Um…good for you." Knuckles grinned. 

Metal-2 stopped when he saw Sonic running with Amy behind him. 

Amy tried to keep up, but she was losing him fast. "Sonic, wait!" she called. 

"I said, no!" And he vanished out of her sight in a blue blur. 

Amy tripped on the street and fell to her knees, out of breath. Metal-2 quickly came to help her up. Amy brushed the dust off her dress, looking up to see him. She was not injured. 

"Are you all right, Amy?" he asked. 

"Yes, I'm okay. Thanks, Metal," she said quietly. 

"You're welcome." Then he offered the cotton candy to her. 

Amy was a little surprised. "Metal, you brought this for me?" 

Metal-2 nodded, smiling. "Here, take and eat the colored cotton pillow. Maybe it'll help." 

Amy gladly took it. "Thank you!" She hugged him. 

Metal-2 had no idea a colorful cotton pillow could mean so much to someone, but maybe it was the thought behind it that made it a special gift. He returned the hug. 

"Sonic won't take me to any of the rides," she told him what happened. 

Metal-2 thought of an idea, and then he said, "I would be happy to take you." 

"Really? Which one?" she asked.  

"Any one you want," he answered and carried the pink hedgehog to let her chose.

Not far away, Tails was looking at the cars they had parked for a show. They were very old models, which seemed to make them interesting to him, but Cream thought it was boring. The rabbit was sharing her cotton candy with Cheese while Tails looked at the cars. 

"I had no idea these were still on the road today," he said with fascination. 

Knuckles watched with amazement as Shadow threw darts at balloons, popping them at surprising speed. The black hedgehog was the fastest one to pop them. The other players stopped when they had no more darts, and with one more balloon left, Shadow popped it with a single dart. The others clapped for him, even Knuckles. He was the winner. 

"I wonder what you'll win," said Knuckles.

Shadow shrugged. "I don't know, but it was--"

"And here's your prize, lucky hedgehog!" said the owner of the game, and Shadow suddenly found himself under a giant panda plush. Knuckles laughed out loud at the rare sight. 

Meanwhile, Rouge, Tikal and Freeway stopped walking when they saw a sign. 

"Hey, look at this…" Rouge read the sign, "Watermelon eating contest today." 

Tikal shrugged. "I'm not very hungry, though." 

"Boys are always hungry," said Rouge. "Let's get them to enter. It'll be funny!" 

"We gotta find them first," Freeway said. "But they could be anywhere now."

"Leave that to me." Rouge then turned to a table, which had kid's jewelry to buy and she said through the crowds, "Oh, look at all these jewels! What treasure!" 

Within moments, Knuckles came gliding down to see. "Where?!" 

"Hey, you, where's Shadow?" Rouge asked him. 

"He's easy to spot," Knuckles said and pointed. "Right behind me." 

The girls looked and were quite surprised to see a giant panda plush approaching. Under this prize was Shadow, carrying it toward them, sweating. 

Freeway blinked. "Uncle Shadow!" she exclaimed. 

"N-no…p-problem," Shadow said under the heavy plush. "I can handle anything!" 

"Good, then you can win the eating contest!" Tikal said happily. 

"The what?" Knuckles asked and he read the sign that the girls pointed at. "Um…" Knuckles turned to leave. "Let Sonic take care of this." 

"What's the matter? You scared?" Rouge teased. 

Then Knuckles stopped and faced her. "Nah, what's there to be scared about food?" 

Suddenly a blue blur came speeding toward the group. The panda plush was sent spinning in circles when Sonic ran passed it. Freeway closed her eyes tight until the runner stopped. 

"Hey, did I hear someone say food?" Sonic licked his lips. 

"Yeah, look!" Knuckles pointed to the sign. 

"Cool," Sonic said with a grin. "Get Tails over here. We'll win!" 

"He's looking at some old cars that are going to be in a parade," said Tikal. 

"I'll find him." Knuckles left and then Shadow dropped the panda plush on Sonic. 

While Sonic struggled for freedom, he angrily mumbled under the soft plush.  

"There," Shadow sighed with relief. "That's much better." He grinned. 

"Uncle Shadow, look!" Freeway showed him the shoes that were sticking out. 

Shadow gasped. "This panda has shoes that look exactly like Sonic's!" 

"No, Sonic has the panda!" Freeway told him, worried. 

"Well…he can keep it." Shadow shrugged and walked away.

Rouge held his arm. "Hold it right there." She stopped him. "You can't leave the contest!" 

"What contest?" Shadow asked as he shook her off. 

"The eating contest," she replied. 

The black hedgehog raised an eyebrow. "What's on the menu?" 

"What else? Watermelons!" The three girls answered and Sonic mumbled louder. 

Tails landed on the ground after flying there. "We're here!" 

Cream and Cheese came down beside the fox. The rabbit was eating a candy apple. Knuckles stopped running beside the giant panda plush. The contest was almost ready to start. 

"Sure we're here, but where's Sonic?" Knuckles wondered. 

Sonic rolled out and crashed into the red echidna, knocking him down. "Uh-oh…" 

"SONIC!" Knuckles growled, and with a yelp, Sonic leaped and ran passed the contest sign. Knuckles chased him with Shadow following. They were ready to begin. 

"Good luck, Tails!" said Cream in the crowd, and Cheese added, "Chao!" 

The fox winked and stepped into the contest just in time. Everyone that entered the contest took a chair and a slice of a juicy watermelon with black seeds. It was the fruit of the town. 

"Okay, we are ready to begin," said the announcer. "The one who finishes eating first wins!" 

"Pathetic," Shadow said to himself quietly. "But I am a little hungry." 

"On your marks, get set, and go!" And so they began eating. 

"Go, Sonic! Go, Knuckles! Go, Tails! Go, Shadow!" The crew shouted from the crowd. 

Shocked, Rouge saw Shadow eating his slice with care to avoid the black seeds, and so she shouted, "Go more, Shadow!" But her voice was lost in the cheering around her. 

Knuckles' muzzle was covered with watermelon juice as he kept eating, and Sonic was not as hungry as he thought after eating some chilidogs. It was a surprise to see that Tails was catching up with the hungry Knuckles. Tails quickly finished the last few bites, seeds and all. 

The announcement came. "And the winner is, Tails Prower!" 

"Tails won! He won! He won!" The girls cheered, running to the crew. 

"Oh, joy," Tails said breathlessly and he nearly fell back in his chair, but Sonic caught him. 

"Three cheers for Tails!" Sonic said proudly, and so they cheered. 

"You did great, kid," said the announcer as he gave Tails a blue ribbon. 

"Thanks!" Tails smiled. Metal-2 and Amy arrived in time to see the winner. 

"You were wonderful, Tails!" Amy said happily. 

"You must really like watermelons," said Metal-2, looking down at the fox. 

Tails just chuckled, and then looked at his watch. "Whoa…" 

"Let me guess," said Rouge. "It's time to go." 

"Quit stealing my lines!" Sonic teased. "Wait here. I'll get the RV." And he ran. 

"Hey, where were you all this time, anyway?" Tails asked Metal-2. 

"Taking Amy to the rides and hugging colorful cotton!" he answered, smiling. 

"So, that's why you're a little sticky," Tails realized. "I guess we all need a wash." 

"No wonder Sonic never wants to take her," Knuckles said. "He hates getting sticky." 

"Never mind," Tails laughed, and so did the others, except for Shadow.

"Oh, look, here he comes!" Tikal pointed to the approaching RV. 

"Now we can travel again," Cream said with excitement. "I wonder what's next." 

Metal-2 picked her up. "Let's go find out." 

Everyone went inside, but Tikal stopped Shadow from entering. "Wait."

"What now?" Shadow asked, still cleaning his chest fur with a napkin. 

"What about your panda plush?" she asked, pointing. "You can't just leave it here." 

"Sure I can," he said, picking it up, and then he tossed it to the nearest child. "And here's your prize, kid." Then he turned and entered the RV, leaving a happy child with the soft plush toy. 

The door closed and then the RV moved once more. "Here we go," Sonic said, "We're off!" 

"Next stop is…" Tails stopped and opened his laptop. "I'll find it." He sighed. 

The RV began its departure from the town called Luling, but before they were out of sight, I myself saw the RV leaving while at the Watermelon Thump. It was unmistakable that it was Sonic as the driver. The white-gloved hand reached out the window, waving before the RV turned out of sight after safely crossing a railroad track. Seeing the giant panda plush and the contest winner's name made it easier to believe. They really were on the road together with adventures without number ahead of them, but it would be an adventure itself to record a few of their stops. 

"I better write this," I said. 


	18. Balloon Loons

**Chapter 18: Balloon Loons**

On mountains and dry ground, thesun began to shine its victory over the clouds. Somewhere in a desert place in New Mexico, the dust was disturbed when wheels came rolling down the hill. When the dust cleared, the RV came into sight. It was coated with sand and after stopping. Sonic used the windshield wipers to have a better look outside. It was silent with mountains and sand.

"Where in the world have you taken us this time, Sonic?" Knuckles asked.

"I'm thinking…I'm thinking!" he said, staring outside into what seemed like nothing.

Amy looked outside from a window. "Wow," she exclaimed. "It looks like Mars!"

Tails jumped awake from a dream, still holding his laptop. "Mars!" he panicked. "Sonic, you didn't have to follow my directions so carefully. I admit; I do have maps of Mars!"

Everyone except Sonic and Shadow stared at him. After a moment of silence, they grinned.

"Cool," Metal-2 said. "I'm going out first."

"Wait a minute!" Sonic stopped them from getting too excited. "We're not on Mars."

"How can you be so sure?" Shadow asked while tapping his fingers on the dashboard.

"Because I didn't follow Tails' map closely," he replied.

"That explains why we're in this mess," said Rouge. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

Cream blinked and pulled back a window curtain to look. "I see a sign up ahead."

"So do I," Tikal said without looking. "It says, Dead End. Right?"

"I can't read it from here," said Amy. "It's too far away."

"Allow me." Metal-2 looked ahead and he read the sign. "Welcome to Las Cruces."

"Hurray, we're still on Earth!" Knuckles cheered. "So…umm…what now?"

"That's a start," said Shadow. "New Mexico is the Land of Enchantment."

"Well, with all this sand, it needs some enhancement." Tikal giggled.

"Hey, isn't White Sands nearby?" Cream asked with Cheese looking outside a window.

"It sure is," Tails answered as he looked for information.

"I guess that's our next stop," Sonic said, shrugging. "I'm outnumbered."

"Hmm…I just hope trouble isn't behind us," Rouge said quietly, wondering.

The RV began to travel into the desert, leaving a cloud of dust behind. They were on their way to White Sands, hopefully to see something new and unexpected and yet, not troublesome.

Meanwhile…

Following their trail, Metal Sonic flew with great speed over the sand. Soon he came to a road that had two ways, left and right. Unsure which way the RV took, he stopped for a moment to think. Behind him, Chaos arrived on a camel. He was wearing a white hat to keep cool.

"Hey, Metal, did you find any trouble?" he asked, sliding down to the ground on his feet.

"I found you, didn't I?" The robot glared at him face to face.

"You did?" Chaos asked, falling down face first when Metal stepped back.

Before Metal could do something dreadful, his cell phone suddenly rang, which sounded like explosions. He answered it to hear Dr. Eggman's voice. The scientist was not very happy.

"Did you find the RV?" he asked. "You'll end up as scrap metal if they get away!"

Then Metal gave the phone to Chaos. "Here, ding dong, it's for you."

Chaos blinked and took the phone. "Chao--I mean, who's this quacking?"

"Chaos! What are you doing with Metal's cell phone?" Eggman asked.

"I'm talking into it, Doc. It works great, even better than my watery talkie!"

"Put Metal back on now," Eggman demanded. "I asked him a question."

"Okay." Chaos offered the phone back, but Metal was gone. "Uh…" Chaos talked into the phone again. "Hold on a minute." Then as fast as he could, he jumped onto the camel to find the robot.

Later…

Our traveling RV crew drove passed what they thought were some kind of buildings, but it was only a mirage. Confused, they kept going, and then they thought for sure they saw a parade, but that was also a mirage. Sonic saw a lake ahead of them, but it vanished when he came close.

"Is anything real here!" asked the blue hedgehog, driving.

"Affirmative," Metal-2 answered. "There is certain realism in this very area."

Sonic wanted to know. "What, then?" he asked.

The android hedgehog held up their delicious lunch. "Bagels!"

"Yummy!" The girls surrounded Metal-2 and took a bagel from his basket.

"Got any jelly?" Tails asked hungrily, holding a fresh bagel.

"Grape, of course," Knuckles said, passing a jar to him.

"This is so good. Thank you," Cream said, sharing her bagel with Cheese.

"Hey…where's the cream cheese for this?" Rouge asked.

Tikal blushed. "I used the rest of it yesterday for frosting."

Then the bat blinked. "Oh, I remember now. Those cupcakes were good."

"Oh, what's the use?" Sonic stopped the RV on the side of the road to join them.

Shadow ate a sandwich to be different from them. "Bagels are pathetic."

"How…how dare you say THAT?" Metal-2 asked, trembling. "Not the bagels!"

"Calm down, Metal," Amy said. "I think we could all use a break now."

"Well, we're really close to White Sands now," Sonic told them. "If we're lucky, we'll see some balloons." He finished his bagel with grape jelly.

"Will there be clowns, too?" Cream asked.

"No, I don't think so," Shadow replied. "I'm surrounded with enough of them already."

Rouge took a drink of water from a cup, looking toward a window. Knuckles was sitting with his back to the window when Rouge saw something outside in the sky. The water shook inside the glass she held when her hand trembled a little with her eyes widening. Knuckles noticed.

"What is it, Rouge?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

After swallowing, Rouge pointed at the window. "Balloon!"

The red echidna growled. "You calling me a balloon head! You loon!"

"Hush, children," Metal-2 said. "Look, it's only a balloon."

"It's full of hot air!" Tails stood up to see it better. "Look at it go!"

"You were right, Mr. Sonic," said Cream. "We're lucky today!"

Sonic grinned. "Hey, I'm always right. Come on, let's go see 'em!"

Excited, they all stepped outside, leaving the RV parked. They gathered around and watched the sky as more balloons appeared in the sky, various colors and designs, carrying people for a ride.

"That rhymed!" Chaos said, making his way to White Sands. He was following Metal Sonic's signal to locate him. "Aren't cell phones great?"

Back to the RV crew, their eyes gazed up at the colorful show of balloons.

"That looks fun," said Cream and Cheese nodded with a smile.

"Yeah…I wish we could ride one," Tikal said.

Amy nodded and added quietly, "Me, too."

Rouge shrugged her shoulders. "But how? We don't have one to use."

"Hey…" Knuckles thought of something. "Let's fill Metal with air!"

Not amused, Metal-2 gave him a slap on the head.

"That won't work," said Tails. "Maybe one is available for tourist, though."

Sonic snapped his fingers. "I bet you're right, Tails."

Standing away from the crew, Shadow was reading a sign that was posted on a fence. Freeway could not read, but she pretended. Shadow scratched his chin, thinking.

"What did you find, Shadow?" Sonic asked, stopping beside the black hedgehog.

"Nothing special," he answered. "Just a tourist trap."

"A trap!" Sonic gasped, surprised.

"It's not like that, you goof," Shadow said to him. "Look, they're offering balloon rides for tourists. That explains this crowd at White Sands today. Can you believe it? Ha!"

"I not only believe it, but we're also going!" Sonic chuckled and raced through the gate.

"We?" Shadow crossed his arms. He watched the others run after Sonic. "Whatever."

Meanwhile…

Metal Sonic landed on the sand, crushing a small tumbleweed under his feet. "Perfect," he said, clenching his fist after he read the sign about the balloon rides. He saw the RV nearby, so they had to be in the area. "They are here. Yes, I can almost feel it in my feet!"

"You have feet?" a voice asked behind the robot.

Caught off guard, Metal quickly turned around. "Chaos Zero, how did you find me!"

"Your cell phone and a little bit of luck didn't hurt."

Metal glared at the phone. "That little traitor…"

"Oh, that reminds me! The Doc is--"

"He ordered me to get those tourists, and that's just what I'm going to do!" Metal then dashed away, leaving Chaos covered with sand, still holding the cell phone.

Chaos shook himself free and clean from the sand. "Metal, wait up!" He chased after him.

In the sky, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow were in one balloon while the girls and Metal-2 took another. They stayed in each other's sight, enjoying the ride over the desert. They lifted off the ground, floating up into the clear blue sky. The view was lovely and breathtaking.

"Sonic, something took my breath," Knuckles said, clenching the basket that held them.

Sonic chuckled. "You must be trilled!"

"This reminds me of the Tornado." Tails sighed, looking down at the beautiful land.

Shadow rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I don't know about you guys, but this basket reminds me of those silly bagels." The others laugh out loud.

In the other balloon, Metal-2 and the girls were also enjoying the balloon ride.

"We're flying so high," Amy said happily. "And look how small the RV is from up here!"

Cream was amazed at the sight. "Do you see it, Mr. Metal? Look down there."

Metal-2 nodded. "I see it. Be careful, though." He held Cream so she would not fall.

Tikal sighed, blinking at the lovely sky. "It feels like a dream."

"From up here, maybe I'll spot some secret treasure." Rouge smiled.

"You mean, real secret treasure? But wouldn't it be buried?" Cream asked curiously.

"No, but you will!" said a voice.

"What? Who said that?" asked Metal-2.

"Behind you, tourists!" And it was Metal Sonic, armed and dangerous.

Amy gasped when she saw the gun. "Look out! He's armed!"

"He won't even have arms when I'm done with him!" Metal-2 said.

"Ha! You fools fell for such a perfect trap. You are going down!" He aimed his weapon at the crew. Metal-2 kept the girls behind him as he prepared to fight back. Metal Sonic fired, but then he was suddenly shaken because a trembling Chaos was holding onto his legs.

"Whoa! Help!" Chaos screamed in fright when Metal Sonic fired.

"GAH!" Surprised, Metal Sonic lost his flight balance, missing the shot for Metal-2 and it fired the balloon instead. It punctured the balloon, leaving the air to escape rapidly.

Cream screamed at the loud noise it made, holding onto Cheese. "Oh no!"

Suddenly, Amy slipped and fell out of the basket that was out of control.

Metal-2 quickly caught Amy before she fell down. "Hold on, everyone!"

"Don't worry, don't panic," said Tikal calmly. "We should descend nice and slow."

"Oh? What makes you so sure?" Rouge asked.

Before Tikal could answer, the balloon began to fall faster with the girls screaming inside, holding on tight for dear life. Metal-2 did his best to keep the basket in a safe balance.

"Release me, you water monkey!" Metal Sonic shouted, attempting to shake him off.

"You have a phone call!" Chaos told him. He suddenly dropped the cell phone. "YIKES!" Pulling the robot down with him, they crashed into the balloon, causing it to crash land on the ground.

The girls screamed until they reached land safely, luckily unharmed in the basket.

"So much for a nice, slow landing, Tikal!" Rouge said with the balloon over them.

Tikal shyly chuckled. "Well, at least we're out of that dangerous sky."

"We're alive, but where are we?" Cream asked shakily.

Metal-2 leaped out of the fallen basket. "Stay back!"

"Metal!" Amy called.

Chaos was underneath the large colorful balloon, which lost all of its air. Again, the cell phone rang. Chaos searched for it, very dizzy after the crash. When he finally picked it up, Metal-2 found him. Being in his dizzy state, Chaos believed Metal-2 was Metal Sonic.

"Here, Metal, it's for you," he said after handing it to him. Then he passed out.

Metal-2 answered the phone, curious. "Hello?"

It was Eggman. "Metal! That was the longest hold ever. Now, bring me that RV!"

"What? I don't work for you anymore, tubby," he said, ending the call and left the cell phone on Chaos. "Weird." Then he saw Sonic and the others landing in their balloon.

Sonic reached the crashed balloon first. "Is everyone all right?" he asked.

"We're okay," Rouge answered. "But Metal Sonic and Chaos paid us an explosive visit."

"So I see," said Knuckles. "We heard the screams, too."

"Nothing to worry about. They're yesterday's news now," Metal-2 said.

The blue hedgehog nodded. "Good job, Metal. And you didn't kill anyone."

Metal-2 gave him a strange stare, not saying a word.

When Tails arrived, he gave some very recent news. "Sonic, this tourist spot is closing."

"Already?" Cream asked. "It was just getting fun."

"It must be because of the crash," Amy guessed, dusting herself off.

"Must they always spoil our fun?" Rouge sighed.

Then Tikal asked, "What should we do?"

"Leave." Shadow walked off; secretly glad to be on the ground again.

With no signs of Metal Sonic around, Metal-2 followed the crew back. After the RV left dust behind, Chaos woke up with the cell phone on his tummy. He slowly sat up.

"What a strange dream," Chaos mumbled, rubbing his head. "Metal?" He looked everywhere under the balloon, but found no robot. Then Chaos feared the worst. "Oh no. Maybe he…he…"

Chaos worried Metal Sonic was buried alive, but then the basket started to move. Chaos kicked the basket away, revealing Metal Sonic buried in the sand with only his head sticking out.

This strange discovery made Chaos rejoice. "Oh, Metal, I found buried treasure!"

"When I get out of here, you shall be a buried mummy, you loon!"

"What's a loon?" Chaos asked him.

Metal Sonic growled mechanically, at a loss for words in his frustration.

As the sun was setting that day, the crew worked together and washed the dusty RV at a lonely gas station as the radio inside played songs. Unlike other times, Metal-2 was working very slowly. He was thinking about what Sonic said earlier. He did not take it quite as an offence, but it did something to him. No, he did not kill anyone that day and it did not even come to mind until Metal Sonic appeared. That still did not change what he was and what he was made for. He squeezed the watery sponge so tight, letting the soup gently run through his fingers.

"Metal!" Amy called, breaking his thoughts. "Sonic says we're done. Let's go."

He saw his reflection in the window, crystal clear. He smiled. "I'm coming."

With the RV clean again, they traveled to where the road would take them next.


	19. The Limbo Tribe

**Chapter 19: The Limbo Tribe **

It was a hot, dry afternoon somewhere in Northern New Mexico. The sky was so blue and there was not even one cloud in sight. Under this stunning sky, the road was silent and lonely. That changed when the RV appeared after making a rough turn, barely avoiding a huge cactus.

"That was another close call," Sonic said in the passenger seat. "I never get that close."

Shadow was driving. "Sure, you only come close to death itself," he said.

"Very funny, Shadow." With that said, Sonic sank down lower in his chair.

The others were taking a nap, watching the window, or playing board games. There was not much to see outside, except for mountains, the sky, rocks, sand, and some trees were up ahead. Knuckles swallowed when he saw several vultures searching for their dead prey outside the window. Tails lazily typed on his laptop while Metal-2 and Amy played a board game. Cream, Cheese, and Freeway were taking a nap, and Knuckles, Tikal, and Rouge watched the windows, thinking. Shadow tightened his grip on the steering wheel when the road suddenly began to get bumpy. Sonic opened his eyes from resting when the RV ran over a large rock.

"Easy, Shadow," he said. "I don't think the RV likes this road."

"It's not my fault. I'm trying to find a more civilized street."

Sonic looked behind himself to see his fox friend. "Tails, anything on the laptop?"

Tails shook his head. "Sorry, Sonic, like it or not, the road will be kind of rough for a little while, but there is a border line of another state coming real soon."

"What state?" Rouge asked.

"Colorado. If we keep going north, we'll get there by nightfall, I think."

"Sounds okay to me," said Shadow. "Maybe the roads up there will have some mercy."

"It's not that bad," Sonic said calmly. "Besides, just think, what could possibly go--"

"Don't ask, Sonic!" The entire crew shouted. But it was too late.

The RV hit another large rock, this time falling bumper first into a slippery trap. The two front wheels were stuck in a small ditch with rocks around the vehicle. Shadow stopped it safely, though. After a few moments, the dust cleared, revealing the now silent, motionless RV.

"Everyone all right back there?" Sonic asked.

"We're okay," Tikal replied from the kitchen, holding onto the small sink.

"No injuries," Metal-2 answered. "But the RV is slightly damaged up front."

"You can fix it, right?" Cream asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Of course," Metal-2 said without a doubt in his voice.

After Amy put the game board back on the table, she walked to the front seats. "Hey, Sonic, I just thought of something. Since we're stuck here for now, we can pick berries for a pie."

"Oh, that'll be nice," Cream agreed before Sonic could open his mouth. "May we, Mr. Sonic?"

"Well…I guess that'll be okay, girls. Just don't go too far from the RV."

"We'll stay and get the RV back in driving condition," Knuckles said. "It won't take long."

"Let's just get it done before dark," Tails said after closing his laptop.

Sonic nodded. "Okay, you girls go find those berries. The rest of you, get to work."

"And what will you do?" Shadow asked.

"I'll be helping, of course. Come on, guys." And then Sonic opened the door.

The girls took baskets and walked toward the wooded area ahead, not too far away from the RV. Rouge was the only girl that stayed behind. She was not interested in picking berries that day. She thought it would be more helpful to get the RV back on the road. While they worked on the RV, the girls happily picked berries from the bushes, glad to be outside again, to smell the fresh air and stretch their legs. Freeway and Cheese ate more than they collected. Amy and Cream stayed together, and because Rouge was at the RV with the others, Tikal was left alone. She picked berries by herself, humming a song sweetly, unaware that she was being watched from the trees.

Meanwhile…

At a gas station, miles behind the RV, Dr. Eggman watched as Metal Sonic washed his ship. No matter what Metal said, Eggman believed he insulted him on the phone back in the Las Cruces area. This was a way to punish him. Metal hated water, which was partly the reason why he found it difficult to get along with Chaos Zero. Silent, Metal washed and scrubbed with water and soap. Chaos scanned the area with his binoculars on the gas station rooftop, looking through them the wrong way again, which made everything look small. Eggman was drinking a cold soda.

"That's it," he said. "Keep it up, Metal. Scrub until it shines. You do indeed work for me."

Metal angrily grumbled in his mind, but said with his voice, "Yes, sir."

Eggman sighed, sitting back, resting in his chair. "Wherever that road crew is at this very moment, I do hope trouble comes their way instead of ours."

"Aww, don't feel so bad, Doc," said Chaos on the roof. "Someday you'll shine baldly!"

"You mean boldly. Now, you may join Metal in washing my ship." He laughed.

"What's so funny?" Knuckles asked for the third time.

Sonic and Tails tried to stop, but it was difficult. The red echidna unknowingly got oil on his head and face while working on the RV, giving him what looked like odd black hair and a silly mustache. Rouge watched them from the RV roof, giggling as quietly as possible.

"Repairs are complete," Metal-2 reported. "And you may want to clean up, Knuckles."

"Me?" Knuckles blinked with confusion, but it all became clear to him when he saw his reflection in the RV window. While he let out a yelp of pure shock, Sonic laughed even louder.

"We should find the others," Shadow said, breaking the laughter.

Tails agreed. "Yeah, it'll be getting dark soon. That took longer than expected."

"But the others should've been back by now," Rouge said. "Maybe we should--"

Before she could finish, the crew was alarmed when they heard Amy and Cream running toward the RV and calling out to them. Freeway and Cheese were with them, but Tikal was missing.

"What happened?" Sonic asked as soon as they arrived.

Amy hardly got her breath back, but gave an answer. "It's Tikal. We found her basket, but she's gone! We looked everywhere, we kept calling her, but she didn't answer…"

"We were so scared," Cream added breathlessly. "We had to come back for help."

"You did the right thing," Sonic said. "But can you show me where the basket was?"

Amy quickly nodded, still holding the basket. "Yes."

"Then there's no time to lose. Rouge, stay with the RV just in case Tikal comes back."

Rouge winked, holding the frightened Freeway in her arms. "You got it," she said.

"Okay, let's go!" Then Sonic and the others followed Amy and Cream into the woods.

"Spooky…" Tails whispered as the crew went deeper into the woods, searching.

It was dark. The moonlight was peeking through the trees with a strange, scary mist haunting the area. An owl frightened Cream with a loud hooting noise in a treetop nearby.

"Don't be scared," Sonic said gently. "It's just an owl singing for the moon. It's okay."

"But we all know what they eat," Shadow whispered lowly.

"Shadow, you're not helping," Amy scolded in a sharp whisper.

"They…they eat blueberry pie," he finished quietly.

"Maybe it's my fault Tikal is gone. I wanted to pick berries." Cream sobbed softly.

"No, it's nobody's fault, especially not yours," said Metal-2.

"She couldn't have gone far," Knuckles said, walking ahead of them. "Amy showed us where the basket was, and it was all the way back at the berry bushes. We'll find her."

"I…I hope so," Cream whispered, holding Metal-2's hand as they walked.

"Don't worry, Cream. It won't be long now," Amy assured her. "Everything will be okay."

Tails turned on his flashlight, looking around for any sign of Tikal. Suddenly, he heard an eerie sound, like branches of a bush shaking as if someone or something was walking toward them.

"H-hey, guys, did you hear that?" Tails whispered, trembling slightly.

"Hear what?" Sonic asked after stopping along with the others in the group.

The sound came again, louder this time. "Th-that," Tails answered in a shaky whisper.

"Is it her?" Cream asked. Cheese covered his eyes, too afraid to look anymore.

"Tikal?" Amy called out. "Is that you, Tikal?"

"Tikal!" Sonic called her name also. "Tikal, answer me! Where are you?"

Silence. Even the owl stopped his hooting. It was a little too quiet.

"Maybe it was crickets," Knuckles guessed, trying to ease the growing fear.

"It couldn't be," Shadow disagreed. "Crickets are not that big."

"Then wh-what was it?" Cream asked, trembling with fear now, holding Cheese.

Just then, about twelve echidna strangers leaped from the bushes with spears, and some jumped down from the treetops. Before, they were completely hidden from view in the dark.

"Hey! What is this?" Sonic asked, and as an answer, an arrow was pointed at him.

"We're surrounded, Sonic!" Tails answered, feeling a spear blade behind his back.

"I'm not going without a fight!" Knuckles punched the air, ready for anything. But then he was completely surrounded with spear blades. "Nice, Indians…" He swallowed hard, sweating.

"I bet these guys kidnapped Tikal!" Metal-2 said, keeping Amy and Cream behind him.

"I bet you're right," Shadow said, surrounded with sharp objects.

They tried to point the weapons at the girls, but Metal-2 protected them.

"No, please don't hurt us!" Cream begged, closing her eyes tight.

"Point those things another way," Amy said to them. "It's not polite!"

Metal-2 raised his arm to fire, but Amy placed her hand on it, silently stopping him.

"What should we do, Sonic?" Tails asked nervously.

"They have the advantage over us at the moment, and this is their land. I say we go with them.

They must know where Tikal--ouch!" Sonic yelped when an arrowhead poked him.

"You better be right, Sonic," Knuckles said. The crew was led away captive.

Location: The Echidna Indian camp…

"What if they eat us?" Amy asked in a whisper with her arms raised in the air as the crew was led into an Indian campsite with tents, horses, and campfires. Things were tense in the air.

"They'd never eat pink things," Knuckles said. "It's too raw." He grinned.

Amy frowned and stomped on his foot with her red boot.

"Ouch!" Knuckles almost fell backward, but then he felt a spear blade. "Ouch again!"

"Quiet, Knuckles," Sonic whispered. "This may be the only way to get Tikal back."

"Maybe, but isn't there a way less painful?"

"You hush!" an Indian ordered and poked Knuckles with the spear again.

The crew was lined up; each one of them being carefully guarded just outside a tent. The tent door opened and the chief stepped outside to see what all the noise was about.

"Great Chief, we found intruders," one Indian reported, standing next to Sonic.

"Intruders?" the chief asked. "What do they want?"

"We ju--ouch!" Sonic could not answer with a spear poking his back.

"Stop. Let the spiny blue one speak," said the chief.

"That would be you, Sonic," Tails whispered.

"Well, thanks," Sonic began. "Look, we're sorry for coming on your land without permission, but we're looking for a friend. She's lost and we want her back."

"Trespassers must be punished!" an Indian said, upset about them coming without being invited.

"If you have our friend, just give her back and we'll be out of here in no time."

"Yeah," Shadow added. "This is all unfortunate, but we'll leave when Tikal is found."

"Tikal?" the chief said, "She is well. She is to be married."

Sonic sighed with relief. "Oh, that's ni--married!"

"What are you talking about? Where is she?" Knuckles demanded to know.

The chief signaled for two other Indians behind him to open a nearby tent door. They did so, and when it was opened, the crew saw Tikal sitting on a soft pillow with Indian girls decorating her dreadlocks with flowers. She was unharmed and clothed with an Indian wedding dress.

"Tikal!" Sonic called.

"Sonic!" Tikal answered, trying to stand up, but the other girls held her back.

"Let her go!" Knuckles growled. "You're asking for a lot of trouble."

"Indeed," Metal-2 said, and without warning, he raised his arm, aiming at the chief.

"No, Metal!" Tails gasped, holding his raised arm tight. "I order you to stop!"

"Stop trying to control me!" Metal-2 shocked everyone, especially Tails, when he yelled like that and then he pushed the fox out of the way. Tails fell to the ground. Metal-2 faced his target again.

"No, I won't let you do it!"

It was Amy Rose. She was standing in the way of his fire. All the others stayed very still.

"Get out of my way, Amy!" Metal-2 said, "I…I must…" His arm shook slightly.

"No…no, you don't have to use violence. You don't have to kill or hurt anyone." She stepped toward him, still dangerously in his way. "Just put it down," she whispered. "Please, Metal."

Metal-2 looked as if he was going to knock her down like he did to Tails. He was fighting it. Amy placed her hand on his arm, gently pushed down on it, and the arm slowly, yet heavily, went down. He clenched his fists, staring at Amy in front of him. She just smiled. Metal-2 nodded slightly, and then he just remembered what he did when he lost control. Tails was getting up when Metal-2 reached him. The android lifted the fox back to his feet and steadied him.

"Tails…" Metal-2 whispered. "Tails, I…"

"I'm all right," he said. "It's okay." Then he found himself wrapped in Metal-2's arms.

Sonic let out the breath of air he was afraid to let out before. Now that the guards were no longer pointing their weapons, Sonic felt free to speak. "This is your last chance. Let Tikal go."

The chief chuckled and answered, "We agree on nothing until you defeat game of Limbo!"

"Say what?" The surprised crew asked all together.

"LIMBO!" the Indians repeated; cheering as some of them went to gather things for the game.

"This is crazy!" Knuckles said. "Whoever heard of Indians that played Limbo?"

Shadow shrugged. "It's a great big world."

Cream smiled down at Cheese. "And isn't it great to explore it on the road?" she asked.

Cheese nodded, smiling back at her. "Chao chao chao chaaaaao!" he said happily.

"Of course," Amy replied. "No matter how strange it gets. Now, let's go win this Limbo."

"Is that what the chao said?" Knuckles asked.

"Never mind that now," Sonic said. "The game's starting, and you're first." He chuckled.

"I'm wha--hey!" Knuckles was carried off to the Limbo game.

The echidna Indian tribe beat their drums and sang, finally accepting the Sonic crew in the campsite as guests instead of intruders. The camp was soon filled with music, laughter, singing, dancing, and a game of Limbo as the campfire leaped, almost as if it danced to the music. One by one, the Sonic crew and the playful Indians of the tribe went under the Limbo bar, and after each time they went under without touching it, the bar was lowered down a little more. Some began to fall and were out of the game until there was Shadow and one Indian left. Metal-2 and Tails only watched by the campfire. The game was growing more and more difficult after each turn.

"Come on, Shadow, you can do it!" the crew cheered for him. "Go, go, go, go, go!"

Shadow barely made it to the other side without touching the bar, but the Indian behind him fell flat on his back on the soft sand. That made Shadow the winner. Tikal was set free and was back with the crew. They may never understand those echidna Indians, but at least they turned out to be friendly when they were given a chance. The crew made it back to the RV at bedtime, safe and sound. Quietly, the RV drove away with the stars sparkling above, wishing them the best.


	20. Fork in the Road

**Chapter 20: Fork in the Road**

After crossing the marvelous New Mexico state borderline, the RV entered Colorado, the state of endless possibilities. Metal-2 drove, giving Sonic and Shadow some much needed rest. It was still dark outside, peaceful, and everyone was sleeping, except for the android. Metal-2 glanced down at the road map. According to the plan, once they entered and spent a little time in Colorado, they would move toward the east. There are so many wonderful places to visit, which makes it difficult to make a choice. The sun was gently rising, painting the lovely sky with daylight. The thought of stopping somewhere to make breakfast came to Metal-2 as he was driving when Sonic, who was snoring in the front passenger chair beside him, tossed and turned in his sleep. As he turned onto his side, he touched the radio dial with his foot by mistake. Instantly, the radio turned on with a song, and the volume was so loud, it woke up the entire RV crew.

"Oh no!" Metal-2 said as he worked on stopping the RV while trying to find the off switch.

Knuckles fell from his bed, which was above the two front seats and onto the couch where Shadow and Tails were awakened. The girls screamed in the back as the RV came to a stop.

"Get off my face!" Shadow scolded the red echidna.

"There would be room if your face wasn't so big!" And they tackled.

"I almost thought my nightmare came true," Tails said on the floor.

"Oh? What was it?" Metal-2 asked.

"The sky fell," the sleepy fox replied, rubbing his eyes awake.

Just then the girls dared to peek out. "What happened?" Amy asked.

"Well…" Before Metal-2 could explain, Sonic woke up yawning.

"Good morning, everyone," Sonic cheerfully greeted them. "Hey, you're up early."

"We didn't have much of a choice," said Rouge.

"Wait," said Metal-2. "You mean you didn't hear the radio, Sonic?"

"Of course I did," he answered. "But not recently." He yawned again.

"Well, you turned it on with your foot while asleep. That's why I stopped the RV."

Shadow and Knuckles stopped fighting and faced Sonic. "So he's responsible…"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sonic said, sweating now.

"GET HIM!" The crew said, and before Sonic knew it, he was surrounded with pokes.

While they were laughing and playing a war of pokes, a ship passed over the parked RV, going so fast; it was hardly noticeable. It was Dr. Eggman, avoiding the road traffic by flying over them and speeding, no doubt. He was in a hurry for breakfast. He was so hungry; he did not even know his target was beneath him then. Our heroes were also hungry, and that was soon announced when growling stomachs made their complaints. After poking him silly, they let Sonic go.

"I drive!" Shadow snatched the keys from Metal-2 and sat down.

Sonic could hardly move from his chair as he gave himself time to recover from the poking. The others settled down when Shadow promised to take them to a restaurant that was just up the road.

"But we can just make breakfast in here," Tikal said after closing a kitchen cabinet.

"We're low on supplies," Shadow said. "And besides, I hear they have good coffee."

"Yuck," said Cream, making Cheese and Freeway giggled.

The RV was on its way again with Shadow as the driver for the morning.

"And with Shadow as the driver, be very sure to buckle up," Sonic whispered.

"I can hear you!"

Not long after the RV began to travel down the road, Sonic saw something sparkle in the street. He was sitting in the front passenger seat next to Shadow, the current driver. The blue hedgehog did not know for sure what was ahead of them, but it was directly in their path.

"Shadow, stop!" Sonic yelled it out with great urgency.

Without asking questions, Shadow hit the breaks to stop. The tires screeched loudly with dust from the street flying around them. The RV stopped just in time with the front right tire just barely touching the small, mysterious shiny object outside in front of our travelers. After everyone calmed down, Shadow blinked his eyes and turned to face Sonic.

"Care to explain this?" he asked.

"I saw something," Sonic answered. "It's out there." And he pointed at the windshield.

"Let me guess," said Knuckles. "It's a town with no breakfast."

"Is it another turtle?" Tikal asked.

"Jewels!" Rouge said, opening a window to see. "Where are the jewels!"

"Maybe Mister Sonic found a shortcut to the restaurant," Cream said to Cheese.

"Shortcut?" Tails asked, "If there were any, I would've known about it, right?"

"That depends if your laptop is working or not," said Amy.

"I am recharging its batteries," Metal-2 said with a smile.

Hearing that, Tikal gasped. "Without the laptop, we're lost!"

"Ever heard of a folding map before?" Rouge asked, showing one to her.

"Hey!" Shadow shouted. "Listen, Sonic, you better have a good reason to go and stop my ultimate driving like that. If it wasn't for an endangered animal, you may become one yourself!"

After a moment of silence, Knuckles said, "Whoa. I didn't know he cared."

Sonic cleared his throat and then he explained. "Well, I saw something shiny on the road ahead of us, so I thought it was something that would give us a flat. But, I, being a caring co-pilot with experienced cat-like vision, I stopped your driving and saved the day!" he grinned.

"Yeah right," said Knuckles. "With the way you care, you're blind as a bat." Then Rouge pinched him. "Ouch!" the echidna yelped.

"Let's go see what it is," Tails said, opening the side door.

Sonic and Metal-2 went with him while the others watched. Shadow was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel inside, still unhappy about this. Tails stopped in front of the RV, crouched down and looked at the tires. Sonic scratched his head and wondered if he saw a mirage.

Tails reached under the RV, near the right front tire and stood up with the discovery. "Hey, I found something!" He held it in his hand, showing it to the others that were with him.

"What is it, Tails?" Metal-2 asked, curiously poking it.

"It's a fork," he answered.

Sonic was both surprised and disappointed. "What? A fork on the road? How many times have I told people not to litter on this pretty blue planet?"

"It's not just any fork; it's a gold fork," Metal-2 announced after scanning it.

Sonic shrugged. "So what? It's still littering."

"Someone once said that if there is a fork in the road, take it," Tails said, smiling.

Sonic took the fork from him. "And with a fork of gold, it might give me good luck."

"You mean, whenever you eat with it, food will always taste good?" Tails asked.

"I guess that's one reason, but I was thinking more of protection."

"Protection against that cursed question of yours?" Metal-2 asked.

"There's only one way to find out…"

Tails gasped. "No, Sonic, don't do it!"

"Don't worry, little buddy," Sonic said with a carefree grin. "Just watch…"

Silent, Tails and Metal-2 slowly backed away as Sonic closed his eyes to ask it.

"What could possibly go—Aahhhhhhhh!" He screamed when Shadow pressed on the RV horn, which made a loud noise while Sonic was still in front of the RV.

"…wrong?" And then Sonic fell over on the street, still holding the fork.

Tails and Metal-2 came back and carried Sonic inside the RV to continue the journey. Shadow never looked at the fork. He felt it would bring nothing but bad news. They tried to warn Sonic about asking that question again, but at least he was not hurt. He just needed a little nap.

Meanwhile…

"Oh no! Something has gone wrong! So wrong!" Dr. Eggman was in a panic.

The scientist was inside a restaurant, sitting at a table, but he did not eat his breakfast. Across the table, Chaos was reading the newspaper until Eggman spoke, and then he tossed it away.

"There's too much bad news in the world," Chaos said sadly. "I want peace!"

"Good," said Metal Sonic on the chair next to him. "Let us start by exterminating you."

Chaos gently put a hand on the robot's shoulder. "Metal, your tiny eyes…they're so closed."

"Tiny?" Metal asked quietly, facing the readers. Yes, you.

Chaos continued with his eyes watering more than usual. "Someday, my friend, I hope you'll understand the true meaning of being good to feel good about yourself."

"You brainless puddle, I cannot feel anything..." Then Metal hit Chaos on the head with a pitcher, which made him sink down under the table. "But I can imagine how good it feels to do that."

Eggman growled. "Metal! Chaos!"

"He started it!" they both said at the same time, pointing at each other.

"No, not that," said Eggman. "Stupidity is a part of your so-called daily lives, but my special golden fork is missing! I can't eat without it. I'll starve to death if it's not found soon."

"If starvation is the problem, we have all the time in the world," Metal said.

"What did you say, Metal?" Eggman asked with his nose barely touching Metal's nose.

"I said…We will search the world if necessary, to get your fork back."

"You two find my fork before lunchtime, or else…"

"Or else what?" Chaos asked.

"You do not want to know," Metal said, standing up to leave. "Come on."

"And don't come back without it!" Eggman commanded before the door closed.

Chaos sighed, standing outside the restaurant. "Now what?"

"What else? We search for the fork. Maybe he dropped it on the road not far from here."

"Hey, what if the RV found it first?"

Before Metal could either give an answer or slap him, he saw the RV approaching. "Speak of the road hog, here it comes now!"

Chaos was about to panic, saying, "Oh me, oh my! What should we do?"

Metal quickly thought of a stealthy plan. "I know. This time we will ambush them."

"But I don't see any bushes around here."

"Hide, you raindrop!" Metal pushed him behind the entrance door and they hid there.

The RV parked in front of the lonely restaurant which also had a gas station. Even though it was small, it was like a friendly restaurant for both people and cars. And RVs, of course.

"Free at last!" Knuckles was the first one to leap outside.

"Wait for us, Knuckles!" Amy called with Tikal, Cream and Cheese following.

Rouge stepped outside, putting a layer of pink lipstick on. Tails carried Freeway in his backpack while Sonic and Shadow came outside with the fox and Metal-2.

"Is everyone here?" Sonic asked.

"It's a little late to ask a question like that, Sonic," said Tails. "We're hundreds of miles from home." Hearing that, Freeway poked her baby deer head out into the world.

"Forget that," Shadow said, walking ahead of the two. "Lose that stupid fork."

"It's not stupid," Sonic protested. "It's very special, and I think it found me."

Shadow shook his head, murmuring something to himself as he entered the restaurant. Sonic and Tails shrugged and then followed along with Metal-2 and Rouge.

"Allow me," said Metal-2 opening the door wide for the crew.

They thanked him and stepped inside, but they did not know that Metal and Chaos were being crushed between the door and the wall. Eggman already left the building.

"Wow," Cream said in amazement. "Isn't this place nice, Cheese?" And he nodded.

They all sat down and read the menu to order breakfast. Tails was bottle feeding Freeway with strawberry milk, her favorite. Shadow quietly drank a cup of coffee, thinking. While their breakfast was being cooked in the kitchen, the crew talked about their trip and made a few plans of where to go next. The smell of food seemed to dull the planning ideas in the hungry Sonic. He was looking down at a road map on the table when Cream's breakfast was served.

"Thank you," Cream said politely to the waitress. Her breakfast was…

"ICE CREAM!" The crew all asked at once, very surprised to see it.

Knuckles fell from his chair and Cream giggled. "It's my favorite," she told them.

Just then the door slammed shut, trapping Sonic and his friends inside. It was Metal and Chaos. The robot hedgehog could not stand being crushed between the door and wall any longer, so he decided to ambush them earlier than planned. The crew was silent, stunned at the intruders.

"You are trapped, tourists," Metal said to them. "Surrender in the name of Doctor Eggman."

"Yeah," Chaos quickly added. "The ice cream is all mine, right down to the cherry!"

"Oh no!" Cream gasped. Cheese quickly ate the cheery to save it.

Metal slapped Chaos on the head. "No, we are here to take the fork, not ice cream!"

"Can't you guys bother us _after_ breakfast?" Amy asked, cutting her pancake.

"Wait. Did you say fork?" Metal-2 asked the enemy robot.

"Are you deaf, factory reject? Of course I said fork. It belongs to my maker."

"It's a very special golden fork," Chaos explained while rubbing his head.

Sonic smiled. "See, Shadow? I told you it was special." Shadow was silent.

"What makes it so special, anyway?" Rouge asked.

"It is a secret," said Metal. "And now, hand it over immediately!"

"Or we'll use the Force and take it!" Chaos threatened.

Metal sighed. "You mean we will take it by force."

Sonic, leaving his breakfast on the table, stood on his feet. "No way!"

"Uh…Sonic?" Knuckles asked, but he saw how determined Sonic was.

Shadow hardly paid any attention as the fight began. Sonic and Metal had a duel fight with spoons, clashing them together like swords. Cream screamed with fear when Chaos approached. Silent and cunning, the watery predator made his way toward the rabbit and chao.

"Hurry, Cheese!" Cream called, and she ran around the table in a circle.

Rouge saw the little rabbit girl running with the ice cream. She waited until Cream and Cheese passed by and then held her plate up in front of Chaos. His face crashed into it, leaving him with eggs for eyes and a strip of bacon for his mouth. Amy made an odd face at the sight before laughing out loud. Meanwhile, Sonic and Metal-2 were busy fighting Metal, each one holding a fork. Sonic had the golden fork as his weapon. Knuckles was at a complete loss. He did not know what to do. Since Sonic left his breakfast, Tails hungrily helped himself. In the duel, Sonic was cornered and did not see the danger coming. Metal threw his spoon at Metal-2's face, distracting him long enough to take the trapped Sonic by the throat. He was chocking.

"Sonic!" Metal-2 called, but the enemy robot tightened the grip when he tried to come closer.

"I am not going to ask you again. Give me the fork, hedgehog."

Sonic was unable to hold it anymore and dropped the golden fork. Metal caught it with his free hand before it could touch the floor. Because of the backup Sonic had, including Metal-2, who was aiming his blasters, Metal let Sonic go. He quickly left before Metal-2 could fire and Chaos blindly went outside after him. The others hurried to Sonic, very worried.

"Are you okay, Sonic?" Tails said, "He's gone now." Sonic nodded and coughed.

"But he took the fork with him," Metal-2 said.

"Don't worry about that," Sonic told them all. "I have all the luck I need right here."

And that meant his friends. They had no problem agreeing and were touched by his words. Even though the fork meant something to him, it was not as important as the friends that cannot be replaced. Still, what Sonic did not tell them right away, was he had a fake golden fork made earlier with paint, and it came in handy because Metal took it, leaving him with the real one. Sonic was very hungry after that duel, but he almost screamed when he saw his plate empty. Tails hid behind Metal-2 while all the others laughed. They had to order breakfast all over again.


	21. Salty Lake

**Chapter 21: Salty Lake **

"Are we there yet?"

"What kind of question is that, Cream?" Amy asked on the RV couch.

"I'm not sure, but you're supposed to ask it when on the road for a long time."

"Well, we've been on the road forever," said Knuckles. "And in Colorado, in the middle of nowhere! This is what happens when we listen to Tails' laptop."

Tails blinked, surprised. "Stop that, or you'll hurt its feelings."

"Shh, we're trying to sleep," Tikal whispered, snuggled with Freeway and Cheese on a bed.

"Uhhh…Shadow?" Sonic asked in the front passenger seat.

Shadow had his eyes on the road, driving. He had been driving for hours.

"Hey, Shadow?" Sonic asked again. There was still no answer from the driver.

Metal-2 scratched his head. "He appears to be in deep driving."

Rouge's eyes widened. "What if he's asleep with his eyes open? He does that sometimes."

"Creepy creep," Knuckles whispered and Cream stared.

Sonic winked an eye. "No worries. I know what to do." He grinned.

"Not the CD again!" The crew said, referring to the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack.

"Wrong, but pretty close." Sonic poured a hot cup of fresh coffee and waved with his hand so the aroma would reach Shadow, and it did.

The black hedgehog sniffed, catching the scent, blinked his eyes a few times, twitched awake, and then sang, "She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes!"

Sonic chuckled. "See? No problem." The crew just stared.

"Problem? What problem?" Shadow asked him. He was back.

"Oh, nothing," Sonic said. "Shadow, let me drive. You need a break."

Shadow slowed down the RV, and then stopped to rub his eyes. "I guess so."

"Go ahead, before you really lose it."

"Ridiculous," Shadow mumbled as he left the driver seat.

"Where in the world are we?" Rouge asked.

Knuckles shrugged and said, "Somehow I doubt it's the right place."

"Look, a sign!" Amy said, pointing up ahead. "I bet it'll tell us something."

Tails stood up and looked in the direction with a pair of binoculars. "Wow!"

"What is it, Tails? Where are we?" Cream asked.

"It says, 'Welcome to Utah. Still the right place.' Amazing!"

"There's nothing in Utah but that Salt Lake." Rouge sighed with disappointment.

"There's much more than that," Tails corrected her.

The bat looked at him. "Like what? Any treasure?"

"Well, there's…the Great Lake Salt, and…um..." Tails chuckled nervously, unsure.

Knuckles took a big drink of water. "Talking about a salty lake makes me thirsty."

"I say we investigate," Metal-2 said, now sitting in the front passenger seat.

Sonic agreed with a nod. It was time to make another stop in the journey. "Guys, make sure our drinking water supply is good because we're entering Salt Lake City!"

Rouge let out a sly giggle. "Great. I bet things will get pretty salty."

Knuckles coughed. "Stop saying that! Tikal, I need more water, please."

Meanwhile…

Dr. Eggman cleaned his eye gear, sitting in his Egg Hornet ship. "Blast! What a sandstorm. That is one I will never forget. It covered my ship and even my goggles."

Chaos nodded, sitting on the ship with Metal. "Yeah, it's a good thing you had them, but it would make more sense if this thing had a roof or something. I forgot my umbrella."

"Chaos, be a good little drip and be quiet!" Eggman scolded before driving again.

After a long moment of silence, Metal Sonic said quietly, "I waited for that my whole life."

"Hey, Metal, look!" Chaos pointed with his big hand to a sign.

"What is it now? A place where we can donate you?" Metal asked.

"No, it's much better than that. We're entering Salty Lake. What a name, huh?"

Metal shook his head. "That is Salt Lake City, you sewer drain."

"Excellent!" Eggman laughed, looking down at the tire marks in the sand on the side of the road where Shadow had stopped the RV so Sonic could take over to drive. "Looks like we got them. Who else would be traveling in the middle of nowhere but that crazy RV?"

"Us?" Chaos asked, receiving glares from both the robot and Eggman.

"Doctor, may I?" Metal asked, holding an empty water bottle.

Eggman nodded with approval. "Do it." He looked at the sign again, thinking while trying to ignore the screams of helpless Chaos behind him. Metal had him trapped in the bottle.

Later, in Salt Lake City…

"This is the place," said Sonic, walking with his exploring friends in the city. "I've seen signs with that cool line, but not sure what it's all about."

"It might be historical," Tails said. "I told you to stop at every Historical Landmark."

"That would take too long, Tails. Besides, I like surprises."

"Let's go downtown and see what's over there," Amy suggested walking ahead of them.

"Wait for me, Amy!" Cream called, running passed Sonic and Tails.

Shadow and Metal-2 decided to race there and ran ahead of them all with Tikal trying to keep up, but she was busy helping the thirsty Knuckles. After the two echidnas passed, Freeway came beside Tails. Sonic looked behind. No one was there.

"Tails?"

"Yes, Sonic?" Tails asked, walking beside the baby deer.

"They're all ahead of us."

"Yeah, I know. They're excited, and it's nice to be out again."

"I'm the fastest thing alive, and since when does a female lead my crew?" Before Tails could reply to that, Sonic took him by the hand and ran to catch up.

This sudden action left Freeway alone. She stopped, not knowing what to do. "Uncle Sonic…?" Just then, the blue blur hedgehog came by and snatched her, then raced back on the way.

In an alley, next to where Freeway was taken, Metal Sonic peeked out from behind a trashcan. He still had Chaos trapped inside a water bottle. He was enjoying the peace and quiet, but he had a job to do before he could take it easy. He heard they were going downtown and had a plan.

Downtown Salt Lake City…

When they arrived, the crew happily walked around a large water fountain. Buildings and green trees were around the fountain and the Salt Lake City Hall was nearby.

"Oh, it's so pretty," Cream said, happily walking on the edges while Cheese watched her.

"Come on, I've been around it at least a dozen times!" Sonic called from the other side.

"Can you make it, Knuckles?" Tikal asked.

Knuckles held his dry throat and gave her a little nod. "Yeah, I think so."

Amy pulled out her favorite camera. "Ready, everyone?"

"Kodak moment alert!" Metal-2 announced. "Pose, everyone."

"Don't even think about rabbit ears," Shadow said with a glare at Sonic.

"Why not? They taste good on Easter." Sonic chuckled.

"Mister Sonic!" Cream said in shock. "How could you?"

"Hey, hey, whoa, I only meant the chocolate ones."

"Oh, well, in that case, I like them, too." Cream smiled with delight and relief.

Tails silently took a step away, thinking she might be a cannibal.

"Gather around the fountain," Amy instructed. "Okay, that's good. Just hold it."

She set the timer, put the camera down and hurried over to Sonic, hugging him just in time for the picture to be taken. She was hugging her blue hero, who was trying to get away to breathe, making him unable to do the rabbit ears to Shadow like before, but Shadow was free to do so. Knuckles looked thirsty, Rouge winked, Tikal was waving, Freeway was smiling with Cheese on her back while Cream had her arms open for a hug, and Tails was standing with Metal-2, who had his hand on the fox's head. It was a perfect picture, for them to be together.

"Amy, I need air!" Sonic chocked.

Well, almost perfect. He slipped away, leaping over to the other side of the fountain. The crew laughed out loud as he caught his breath. Amy turned back for her camera so they could move on, but it was gone. She looked around to see if it fell down, but it was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, my camera's gone!"

"Good!" Sonic said, still on the other side of the fountain.

"Are you sure you left it here, Amy?" Cream asked her.

"Yes, I'm sure. Someone must have taken it!"

"Last time a monkey took it," Tikal reminded everyone. "But I doubt he did again."

Metal-2 looked at Sonic. "He has a reason. Perhaps he is the monkey."

Shadow grinned. "That's the most intelligent thing I heard today."

"No way, I don't want anything to do with that silly pink camera of suffocation!"

"Looking for this?" A voice asked from above.

Knuckles coughed and pointed. "H-hey, look, it's Metal Sonic again!"

Sonic turned around and saw the blue robot standing on top of a building, holding Amy's camera.

Amy growled. "Give that back, you thief! It has photos of our road trip!"

"Please, be careful, Amy." Cream shivered with fear.

"Surrender yourselves and the RV first," Metal demanded.

"We don't have to put up with this," Shadow said and pulled out the green Chaos Emerald.

"Shadow, why get so serious for a camera?" Sonic asked him.

"I am on vacation! And I'm tired of running into these losers."

"You will regret this," Metal said. "I will leave its crushed remains in the City Hall." Then the robot fled, barely dodging Metal-2's shots.

"We must go after him!" Metal-2 said, lowering his arm down as he turned to Sonic.

"Why? It's a trap, plain as day," Sonic said casually.

"We're taking back what is ours," said Shadow and grabbed his arm. "Chaos Control!" After saying that, he vanished with the protesting Sonic and the willing Metal-2.

Amy ran for City Hall. "Sonic is not getting away this time!"

"Amy, wait!" Tikal called, following her with Rouge flying above her.

"I guess we're off to City Hall," said Tails. "What a tour this turned out to be."

"You two stay here," said Knuckles. "It could be dangerous."

"But where are you going, Mister Knuckles?" Cream asked.

"To find them, but first, I'm going for a drink." And he left them there with Freeway.

Tails sighed. "Poor Knuckles. He must have a problem with salt or something."

Meanwhile…

Sonic and the others in the away team entered City Hall with no one else there. It was too quiet.

"That's odd," Amy said. "I thought City Hall would be busy at this time of the day."

Suddenly they heard a familiar laugh. "Allow me to enlighten you, miserable tourists!"

"Doctor Eggman!" They said, facing the scientist on the stairs.

"Yes, I have cleared this City Hall just for our special meeting. You put me through quite a chase, Sonic, you and that RV of yours, but all good things must come to an end."

"What do you plan to do, you bad man?" Tikal asked.

"Simple. Take over the RV, and then the entire planet!"

Rouge folded her arms. "I don't get it. How does an RV stand in your way?"

"Because it's a special RV; capable of locating the seven Chaos Emeralds in a short time, thanks to that two-tailed fox boy. Once it is under my control, the world will be mine!"

Then Rouge smiled. "I knew there was a reason why I went along for this crazy trip."

Shadow took a few steps forward. "Enough talk. Give us back our camera."

"Yeah, and we're not going to ask twice," Amy added.

Metal Sonic, who was beside Eggman, was holding the camera in his sharp hand.

Eggman laughed. "You want it back? Then hand over the RV!"

Sonic sighed. "Guys, just let it go. I--"

Amy interrupted. "What? Let him take away all that film and our memories?"

"But Amy, I--"

"Time's up!" Eggman said, once again leaving Sonic interrupted.

"Can I crush the camera now?" Metal Sonic asked and his master nodded.

"No!" Metal-2 fired a shot with cunning aim and the enemy robot's hand fell off. It was still holding the camera in its deadly grip when it fell near Shadow.

The black hedgehog quickly took it, hand and all. "I got it!"

Tikal spoke for everyone when she said, "Let's get out of here, quick!" In a flash of light, they disappeared, thanks to Shadow's Chaos Control transportation.

Eggman growled. "No! It can't be that easy on you just because you're good guys! This isn't fair at all. I had them right in my grasp and yet they slip away like a herd of greased pigs."

Metal Sonic seemed shocked at the sudden loss of a hand, staring at where it once was.

"Metal! What are you doing? Get those tourists!"

"My…my hand…"

"Wait a minute. What did you do to Chaos?"

Knuckles had been searching for water ever since they parked the RV in that city. He could not remember being so thirsty before in his life. Finally, after a journey of panting and enduring hardship, he found a water bottle. It was left on the sidewalk near City Hall. In an act of pure desperation, Knuckles opened it. Before it reached his lips, the water cried out.

"Please don't drink me!"

Knuckles could not believe what he heard and dropped the bottle, frightened.

Chaos crawled out of the bottle, stretching. "Ah! Freedom at last. Thanks a lot, pal."

Knuckles stared at him, absolutely speechless.

"Well, what are you looking at? You expect three wishes from me or something? Sorry, but not today. I have a ride to catch. See ya." And then he walked away, leaving the poor red echidna to faint on the sidewalk with the empty bottle.

After Chaos left, the RV appeared on the road. The crew found Knuckles after quite a search. They were worried about what exactly he drank because they found him like that and because of the story he told about screaming water in a bottle. At least they were together again and safe.

Sonic explained why he was not very willing to save the camera. "You know, all along I had the film with me. I took it after we snapped that last photo at the fountain." He gave it back to Amy. "I was angry, but I never should've been. I realize how important it is to treasure memories."

"You saved our film, Sonic," Amy said, forgiving him. "Thank you."

"No, Amy. Thank you. Thank you all." Sonic laid his hand on Metal-2's shoulder.

Tikal smiled. "What are friends for?"

Tails was busy examining the Metal Sonic hand. "Fascinating…"

"Let's move on," Shadow the driver said. "I have a feeling something big is just over those hills."

Cream was sitting beside him with Cheese in her lap. "I feel it, too."


End file.
